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I guess the tanking economy has gone straight to my head, because my favorite posts (and thus some of my favorite designs) this year are poetically simple objects that solve everyday problems in modest and unassuming ways. Revisiting ICFF and Milan, the many gratuitous, look-at-me gimmicks on display feel so wrong right now. In contrast, I found,
And speaking of pages, I've loved Eric Demay's periodic reports on periodicals--not only for his insightful take on what mags to buy at the newsstand each month, but also for the dialogue it opens about the web/print continuum, a topic becoming ever more urgent as design magazines fold by the week. One of the best arguments for doing away with paper altogether? Harry's post on Piel.Skin,
1. Tropicalia Chairs by Patricia Urquiola
This chair is special to me because of its combination of both strong three dimensional qualities and strong graphical qualities. The shape, but also the lines, the colors, the materials and even the transparency makes this chair a bold and innovative conversation piece.
2. Magnetic Curtains by Florian Krautli
This curtain is minimal, yet playful, versatile, yet beautiful. It has great interactive qualities with indefinite configuration possibilities.
3. My beautiful Back Side Sofas by Doshi Levien
Inspired by art, these sofas are becoming pieces of art themselves with a style all their own. The asymmetry, diversity and careful attention to detail are remarkable. The embroidered back, the different cushions and the gold feet make this furniture piece one of a kind.
4. Fantasy Collection by Jaime Hayon for Lladro
This collection takes a fresh approach, turning kitsch into mysterious surreal objects of desire. The delicate objects are both elegant and intriguing with dreamlike qualities.
5. Early Future Lamp By Ingo Maurer
Mainly because it is the first of its kind, I salute the proposition of an alternative and a more pragmatic eye on things.
Starting today MoCo Loco contributors look back at 2008 and choose their five favorite design objects and or design subjects for the year. Our weekly Best of Architecture and Best of Objects reviews will return next week.
We've come across such a great variety of books to feature every Sunday at Art MoCo over the year (52, in fact) that it seems a shame to not to pull them off the shelf or coffee table every once in a while. So we decided to pick our ten favorites, just in case anyone has any shopping left to do. We rounded up huge tomes of photography, delightful books for kids, a tidy little book about the love that goes into bento boxes, amazing illustrations and comic strips and even a great piece of tongue-in-cheek fiction. All of these make great gifts. It's up to you to decide whether the gift is for you or someone else. See all ten after the jump.
Whittling down a list of well over 300 entries that cover painting, photography, sculpture, installations, ceramics, illustration and so many other areas of the visual arts was no picnic. It was difficult, distracting, and ultimately delightful. The ten choices that survived each round of paring down are very personal, as is the nature of aesthetics.
Work by Martina Nehrling was bright, bold and built up of wonderful daubs of texture. The mystery surrounding the bundle that Kiersten Essenpreis' girls are carrying ever so seriously is as compelling as the colours and composition of her painting. Hugh Symonds' series of 45 photos based on Newlyn Harbour focuses on all the elements of a working harbour. Amy Casey's work appeals because it is such a reflection of the turmoil that is now - safe as houses, eh? Xavier Nuez makes the gritty parts of the city hold a new appeal, especially through the use of great colour. Jonathan Trotter's traditional ceramics techniques and glazes are definitely and delicately in the here and now. Be careful. Valerie Green's photo installation of shoppers fuelling a Black Friday economy may eventually be an unrecognizable scenario. The sheer numbers have a great impact. Stefan Thompson is very careful about using non-toxic materials, but it is the whimsical nature of his characters that has made his work a hit with us. It is inevitable that the oeuvre by Pamela Michelle Johnson resonates: iconic treats that are visual treats are always welcome. And Maira Kalman's book The Principles of Uncertainty is a treat because it is an easily accessible treasure chest of fantastic illustrations by a very talented artist.
2008 was a good year for creativity, we had lots to see and write about at MoCo Loco. We are particularly thankful for our contributors, all creative people themselves, who showed us what was new and interesting. As an end-of-year wrap up we asked them to feature some of their favorite MoCo Loco items or posts from this year. And because creativity knows no bounds, some Top5's went beyond (Jesper!). We thus start a series of series today. First off, it's an Art MoCo weekend with Top Picks and Top Books from our sister site. Enjoy.
Singapore's Bacus Boo has an interesting line-up of furniture and lighting, such as the [RE] booktable above, a cross between a coffee table and a bookshelf. This design takes inspiration from work by Escher and the Möbius strip to integrate the concept of continuity within a finite entity. It will be launched at IMM Cologne in January, along with the Planaroids and the Boomerang side tables. Other work by Bacus Boo after the jump includes the Asobu playtable and the CaterpLights.
Marco Hemmerling's Cityscope installation in Cologne is an urban kaleidoscope set in one of the city's busiest squares, between the railway station and the majestic cathedral. The beveled, many-faceted structure captures reflections of the surrounding facades. The outer skin of the piece is covered in radiant foil, so the colours will change, depending on light conditions. This crystal-like installation encourages user interaction, as it is impossible to avoid touring around it to take it in from different angles. The project was designed with Rhinoceros software and the resulting jewel is in proportion to the buildings that make up the setting.
+ Ross Lovegrove at Design Miami/ discusses Liquid Space on Vernissage.TV. "In this conversation Ross Lovegrove talks about how the piece fits into his work, the piece itself (the aesthetic and functional connection between chandelier and the table), the role of the luxury industry for industrial designers ("it's a patron, it's like the Medicis in some way"), luxury and modesty, liquid forms and organic design, prospective ideas for crystals (crystal powder to create crystal clouds), and the collaboration with Swarovski Crystal Palace".
+ Stefan Diez's Tyvek Papier handbags for Authenticsat Yatzer, "An industrial material as a lifestyle product. The product name PAPIER is a playful allusion to the material: the bags look like paper, feel like paper, and are processed almost like paper. But as delicate as the bags may look: they are extremely strong and wear-resistant".
+ Leah Evans' map quilts at designboom are "hand-sewn in fine detail forming an almost abstract pattern... she doesn't simply translate maps onto her quilts, instead she creates imaginary lands uses elements from different maps".
+ Designasyl's student thesis project Stay At My Home, a range of temporary furniture for overnight guests at Dezeen, "The furniture, which includes a mattress, removable drawer, lamp and carpet, is stored in and around a side table when not in use".
+ Ikea's Datid Appliancesat uncrate, "Sporting a great anthracite finish, the current collection includes a couple gas cooktops, a microwave oven, two built-in ovens, three different exhaust hoods, and a pro-grade gas range".
+ The Electrolux Brita fridge dispenses chilled filtered water from a removable four liter tank inside the fridge door. Via Appliancist.
+ Industrial Facility's JetLag travel alarm clock for IDEA International, "a product that receives little attention yet continues to be popular among older generations. The design is informed not by the shape but by interface". Via Apartment Therapy.
+ Swedish studio Pinc's prefab Pacific House at Below The Clouds, "an International Style beach house complete with a rooftop terrace and spa" that's equally at home in the snow.
+ ODOS architects' 287 sq. meter, concrete Dwelling at Maytree in Ireland at Arch Daily, "in essence a simple bold sculptural form which sits at the foot of a steep escarpment in the Wicklow hills. It is a two storey house with vehicular and pedestrian access from the Bray Road. Accommodation is comprised of a two car garage, boiler room, wc and utility at ground floor level and open plan living, kitchen, dining areas with 3 bedrooms (master en suite), study and family bathroom at first floor level".
+ Junichi Sampei's 990 sq. foot concrete House in Myorenji at What We Do Is Secret, "built on a wedge-shaped site at a length of about 60 feet... walls are built parallel with property lines, and the shape of the site 'reflects' onto the unique angled roof".
+ life+shelter associates' 1487 sq. foot House of Steps at What We Do Is Secret, "bout 20 miles from Tokyo and is surrounded by nothing but open fields. It was designed by another young couple who design from architecture to products".
+ Allen+Maurer Architects' Maurer Residence, "No tree was cut, no rock was blasted, no contours remodelled. 4 small buildings surrounded by existing trees form a private, tranquill garden". Via Contemporist.
+ ZeroEnergy Design's Truro Residence at Jetson Green, "a 6,200 square foot second home that acts a lot smaller that it actually is. The client wanted something to accommodate a large and fluctuating number of family members for weekends and holidays. As a result, ZED split the home into a "living bar" and "sleeping bar." It's an interesting idea that creates impressive results".
+ Joan Riera Jaume and Francisco Barceló Ascolies' Casa Cerdá townhouse in Mallorca at arquitectura h.
+ Wespi de Meuron Architects' neubau haus kĂĽ. at designboom, "nestled on a hillside densely built-up with villas. It overlooks the city, lake and mountains, so the designers wanted to preserve the natural feel on the exterior".
+ Robert Sweet's p_House at Apartment Therapy, the architect "retained the original footprint and foundation of the previous structure to build upon, utilizing the backyard section as the expansion to the original building".
+ Video of Private Library from A Space In Time, "A short film about New York architect Andrew Berman's dream project. Commissioned to design a writing studio in the woods in Long Island, he took the challenge and created a building which seems to float in a sea of foliage". Via AMNP.
+ Marcel Wanders' Mondrian Hotel in Miami Beach at DesignWS.com, conceived by the designer as "'Sleeping Beauty's castle,' [where] residents and guests will truly live within a modern fantasy".
+ Changing Ideals: Re-thinking the House "an exhibition which juxtaposes highly divergent housing concepts, ranging from the Domus Cosmographica of the Mauritshuis to the television culture of the Big Brother house". At the Netherlands Architecture Institute Maastricht (NAI) from November 4th '08 to March 29 '09. Via DeTank.
Resolution: 4 Architecture is renting out its modern prefabricated cabin located in the mountains of West Virginia. Says RES4; "thought you might be interested in knowing that you can now spend a night, a weekend, or an entire week in one of our RES4 PREFABS". Located about two hours West of Washington DC "nestled in a steeply sloped wooded site, this modern prefabricated cabin has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and an expansive deck for drinking in the sights, smells, and sounds of seclusion".
David Stoupakis paints a fairy tale world that seems to be missing the fairies.
The second edition of the Primary Flight mural exhibition in Miami during Art Basel was a huge success with murals from about 40 top name graffiti artists from all over.
Don Carter's guerrilla installation invited viewers to help themselves to the artwork.
Ann Matlock's watercolours are soft servings of delicious colour.
Peaking, peeping and overtly gazing are all part of the voyeuristic nature of Shag's new work.
The Liquid Space installation by Ross Lovegrove for the Swarovski Crystal Palace at Design Miami was conceived as a dining space comprised of lighting and furniture. The chandelier, a mass of 250,000 Swarovski crystals, appears to melt through the ceiling and flow into the polished aluminum table beneath that reflects it. The effect is one of liquid crystal.
The snow continues to pile up, but we're at least one step closer to getting the heat on inside the house. The ductwork has been run throughout the first two floors and we'll be connecting the trunks in the basement very soon. Of course, we still need to order and install the furnace, plus we'll need to get the natural gas and electricity hooked up. Realistically, I'm going to assume we won't have heat until at least mid January.
Today is the unveiling of the new Philippe Starck Zikmu wireless speakers for Parrot. These sleek speakers feature a docking station for an iPod or iPhone, surround sound technology and a broad range of wireless capabilities. The two speakers, which radiate sound from both sides, can be placed anywhere in a room and work without wires. The minimalist speakers are 2.5 feet tall, so are perfect for those seated on a sofa or at a desk.
