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BHP Billiton Perth Sydney University J.P. Morgan Industrial Facility National Hotel Aspendale issue 53. 2013 AUstralia $16.50 New Zealand $17.50 SinGapore $12.95 Hong Kong $155 USA $21.99
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welcomeindesign
letter from the editor issue 53, 2013
I have been reading Susan Cain’s Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking. One thing I have discovered is that I am an introvert and the other thing is why the world is in an even bigger mess than it was before. How is it that organisations, even governments, seem to be less efficient and more incompetent than before? Surely, we should be learning from our mistakes. Well, the reason is that extroverts have taken over and extroversion is now celebrated as the only way to act in the world. This is certainly true of the workplace which is in thrall to groupthink – open plan, collaboration, teams, mission statements, collective creativity and innovation. No one questions that synergy is a desirable thing and can produce results that individuals acting alone may not. But the fact is that for as long as humanity has walked the earth, most creativity has taken place in solitude, with people working peacefully alone. Extroversion and group activity can generate a momentum which can easily overlook due diligence. Researching options, weighing pros and cons, cost-benefit analyses and developing implementation plans are all far too tedious for the extrovert. But for the introvert this kind of process is obvious and essential for the proper running of any organisation. In the workplace there is a growing awareness of the need to respond to diversity. This means a flexible workplace. The idea is to see employees as individuals rather than simply the parts making up a collective. Each employee is different across a range of markers – personality, work style, age, sex, ethnicity, experience, training etc. Increasingly, this diversity is seen as an asset. Optimising the potential of this asset requires looking beyond the ra-ra mentality of the extrovert boot camp. What Susan Cain is saying is that workers – even extroverts – need space. This might be physical space or mental space. These days people may not be ‘confined’ to an office, but open plan has resulted in them being ‘confined’ by the growing number of people sharing the same space. Mentally, it could mean pulling back from the mania for meetings, implementing noise abatement strategies or providing quiet rooms where people can concentrate and really get creative. Anyway, why am I writing this editorial? Because my wonderful editor, Mandi Keighran, has flown the coop to London, putting me back in the editor’s chair for the time being. Mandi is our European Editor-at-Large, so the withdrawal pains are at least a little tempered, especially as the equally wonderful Alicia Sciberras has stepped into the Assistant Editor role.
PAUL McGILLICK – editor
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contentindesign
jun–aug, 2013
Issue 53 regulars
portfolio
027 EVOLVE Bite-sized portions from the latest people, places, products, events
COMMERCIAL
063 Fuse Carl Gardner explores exterior architectural lighting in the LED age
094 BHP Billiton, Perth, by HASSELL and Fitzpatrick + Partners 120 J.P. Morgan, Sydney, by Geyer
074 KONFURB x Indesign Konfurb and Indesign report sustainable workplace trends and the key architects and designers who are influencing this
Hospitality
082 INDESIGN LUMINARY One of Australia’s most distinct architects Ian McKay and architecture surpassing nature
130 Matilda Bay Brewery, Melbourne, by Di Mase Architects
090 ART Anish Kapoor’s sizeable sculptures rework the physical structure of the Museum of Contemporary Art
RETAIL
173 PULSE From University peers to business partners, Design by Them are ready to take off into the international market Australian born, Belgian based Danny Venlet discusses his highly considered designs with a ‘laidback’ approach
114 Print Hall, Perth, by Projects of Imagination
134 National Hotel, Melbourne, by Breathe Architecture
142 Marimekko, Sydney and Melbourne, by Marimekko, Design Office IMA and Saturday Studio Residential 144 Aspendale, Melbourne, by Jeremy Wolveridge Architects EDUCATION
British design duo Industrial Facility on finding solutions through design
156 Sydney Grammar School Assembly Hall, Sydney, by PTW Architects
183 ZONE Andrea Stevens showcases the new retail souk of Auckland by RTA Studio
162 Sydney University Fisher Library, Peter Nichol Russel and Carslaw buildings, Sydney, by Geyer and Suters
193 SUSTAIN Nurturing learning environment for children that supports both cultural and environmental sustainability 200 PS FORMAFANTASMA for Fendi
Cover MacKelvie Street Retail, Auckland, by RTA Studio Simon Devitt Design & Construction (pp.183-187) Photo: Simon Devitt indesignlive.com
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Stylish Innovative Flexible Light
Zephyr Light is a new innovation from Okamura Corporation in Japan, who are recognised worldwide for their excellence in design functionality, comfort and form.
Zephyr Light is a fully adjustable, ergonomic task chair suitable for a range of office applications. Its organic form, combined with its adjustable reclining angle, seat position and armrest height, ensures that a high level of comfort is maintained, even after a long period of time.
At UCI our passion has been commercial furniture since 1972. We continue to evolve and complement our in-house design and manufactured ranges with global brands including Okamura.
Sydney Melbourne Perth Adelaide Brisbane Canberra Hobart Ulverstone Darwin 1300 824 824 uci.com.au
carry on collaborating Combining genuine craftsmanship, innovation and sustainable design, Swedish brand Offecct are maintaining their strong hold over workplace furniture design with their latest offering, ‘Carry-On’. These stools have been designed as portable seating to create flexible working places within larger collaboration zones. The plush, simple forms of the ‘Carry-On’ stools have been upholstered in durable, brightly coloured fabrics, with visible stitching that communicates a stylish and adaptable form. Designed by Mattias Stenberg, the stools open up the floorspace of any room and allow employees to “sit down in an environment where you might not usually sit”, says Stenberg. Measuring 450mm in diameter by 455mm high and equipped with a handle for transport, the ‘Carry-On’ encourages creative thinking and has been designed to be stackable for easy storage. Offecct is available in Australia through Corporate Culture. [Text: AS] Offecct offecct.se / Corporate Culture (61 2) 9690 0077 corporateculture.com.au
Flexibility inferno Welcome to the design language of Gaggenau, where practicality meets elegance in the kitchen. Made from selected materials and offering professional-standard technology, the VARION 400 series cooktops are available in two different widths – 38cm or 90cm – and can be combined with the entire Gaggenau range. The frontmounted controls (pictured) are finished in stainless steel, presenting an iconic simplicity to the high-tech control system. The cooktops are equipped with AL 400 fully recessed table ventilation, creating a solution for large island cooking, and vapours and odours are quietly and effectively extracted at the cooktop. Available through Sampford IXL. [Text: AS]
Gaggenau gaggenau.com/au Sampford IXL 1300 727 421 sampfordixl.com.au
ziggy is the star Environmentally responsible furniture brand UCI have added a new stool to their ergonomically sound collection with ‘Ziggy’, a multi-functional piece that is suitable for indoor and outdoor use. ‘Ziggy’ is made from recyclable polyethylene that offers UV protection and fluid-resisting properties, making this stool durable and easy to clean. Available in 11 bold colour choices and moulded using a rotary technique, the entire structure measures 420mm in width and 450mm in height. [Text: AS]
UCI 1300 824 824 uci.com.au
evolveindesign
CONSTANT KONSTANTIN
FOLD AND DIVIDE Opposite to the term ‘Fold’ in a card game, the ‘Fold’ room divider stands strong and invests in its assets. Made from durable industrial felt, this room divider is feather-light and has impressive acoustic qualities that absorb sound beyond the barrier. It’s ideal for creating private spaces in small work environments or open-plan offices, and does exactly what its name suggests – it easily folds away for safe storage and maximum space gain. Designed by Studio Segers for Mookum, the ‘Fold’ weighs 25kg and measures 180cm wide by 140cm high – make your way to the Mookum website to divide and conquer. [Text: AS]
Mookum (32) 11 33 43 73 mookum.com
Konstantin Grcic – the man, the myth, the legend – has come up trumps yet again with an incredibly chic solution to public seating, suitable for indoor and outdoor use. The point of difference for this one-seater chair is that it can be easily transformed into a bench by connecting multiple pieces together. Inspired by the simple wrought-iron garden bench, Grcic’s ‘Bench B’ makes reference to Mies van der Rohe’s ‘Barcelona’ chair. “I think it is interesting to make this reference in design,” Grcic comments. “Design is not about inventing new things all the time; design is an evolution of things.” Extremely versatile, ‘Bench B’ not only transforms from single chair to bench, but it also comes with the option of arms, upholstery or a pure aluminium finish. Watch the design process and evolution of ‘Bench B’ in action on Vimeo and see how the extrusion of the finished product came about, ready to be showcased at IMM Cologne this year. With his formal training in cabinetmaking, it is no wonder that every design from Grcic is executed with extreme precision and craftsmanship. Many of his pieces have won international design awards, which can be put down to the Grcic legacy of basic functionality zested with technology and sleek design. Konstantin Grcic designs are available in Australia through Corporate Culture. [Text: AS]
Konstantin Grcic konstantin-grcic.com / vimeo.com/56986125 Corporate Culture (61 2) 9690 0077 corporateculture.com.au indesignlive.com
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IMPRESSIONS OF IMM IMM Cologne 2013 was a reflection of the strength of the German market, with plenty of visitors and big brand exhibitors. Mandi Keighran reports
ABOVE FK12 FORTYFORTY by Ferdinand Kramer for e15
Design trade fairs are often a good indicator of economic climate and certainly a reflection of the state of the industry. So it goes that this year’s IMM Cologne – which attracted more than 142,000 visitors from 137 countries – was something of a resurrection of the annual fair’s glory days, reflecting the comparative strength of the German market. Most of the activity, as always, took place in Halls 11 and 3. Hall 11, titled Pure by the organisers, was once again home to the high-end international design brands, while Hall 3 was home to Pure Village, a space for emerging avant-garde brands; Pure Textiles, a new initiative to showcase high-end textile brands; and [D3], the competition for young designers. Taking centre stage in Pure Village was Das Haus, a conceptual visualisation of a home that IMM’s guest of honour is invited to design. This year, Venetian designer Luca Nichetto used Das Haus to illustrate his vision of living in touch with nature. [D3] didn’t seem as strong as in previous years, but there was still some very strong work on display. The winning design, Lucien Gumy’s ‘L’ étagère en bois’ was an innovative timber shelving unit, requiring no screws or nails. In Hall 11, organisers extended the Pure concept with the addition of Pure Editions, a platform for a curated selection of the exhibiting brands – including Vitra, Flötotto and Böwer – to showcase their products in conceptual installations.
While most brands save their big launches for Milan, there were still a number of exciting new products on show. German brand e15 showcased new editions of classic designs from Ferdinand Kramer; Ligne Roset launched a number of new products, including the ‘Container’ lamp by Benjamin Hubert; Flötotto debuted Werner Aisslinger’s intelligent ‘ADD’ system furniture; and Conde House launched the ‘Splinter’ collection by Nendo. There were also many familiar products in new finishes and colours, such as Naoto Fukasawa’s ‘Papilio’ chair for B&B Italia, which is now available in a woven outdoor edition. At the second edition of LivingKitchen – the biennial kitchen show at IMM – trends were clear and reflective of the general direction of the industry. New appliances and kitchen furniture were intelligent, flexible, resource efficient and mostly designed for open plan. The standouts here were Gaggenau and Häcker, while Miele showcased Generation 6000 – the brand’s biggest product launch to date, with more than 200 new products and two design lines, PureLine and ContourLine. While IMM may never reach the same scale as Milan in terms of new products and size, it is now the fair exhibitors see as a way into the comparatively strong German market, and it will be interesting to see how the organisers grow it in the coming years.
imm-cologne.com
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LIGNE ROSET BY BENJAMIN HUBERT Benjamin Hubert’s ‘Container’ table lamp, which he designed for Ligne Roset, is made entirely from matt enamelled ceramic, both base and shade. It chimes perfectly with the philosophy of its creator, who aspires to bring forth timeless objects that don’t seek to follow trends or fashions but which draw on an analysis of function, with the choice of materials and their mode of employment carefully adapted in terms of functionality, and an appropriate visual language that tends towards honest conciseness.
ligne-roset.com / benjaminhubert.co.uk
DAS HAUS by LUCA NICHETTO Italy’s Luca Nichetto designed ‘Das Haus – Interiors on Stage’, taking the highly topical theme of sustainable living and making it his own. The result was a very personal statement on how living with nature can change our perception not just of our living space, but also of the bigger connections between the earth, the climate, mankind, what we eat and the way we live. Thus he opted for an approach which, unlike the technical sophistication we strive so hard for in these areas, made the topic directly accessible to us by appealing to our emotions.
lucanichetto.com
[D3] and Lucien gumy IMM presented both the [D³] Contest and [D³] Professionals as creative platforms for young designers. This unique database of more than 500 young international designers and universities is an outstanding tool for research and presentation and is dedicated to manufacturers, journalists and up-and-coming designers. Swiss designer Lucien Gumy’s solid wood shelving unit ‘L´Étagère en Bois’ (pictured), won the [D³] Contest. It requires no screws or nails, as the boards and uprights interlock, and by mixing elements of different lengths, the unit’s size can be varied. Gumy created the shelves while studying at ECAL (Switzerland’s Ecole Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne).
d3talents.imm-cologne.com luciegumy.ch
HACKER KITCHEN Hacker is the definitive German luxury kitchen company, dedicated to designing and crafting the world’s most desirable cooking and eating spaces. This year at IMM/Living Kitchen the company collaborated with Miele to make all the dreams of minimalist kitchen designers come true. An innovation for Hacker was the ‘Moving Table’ kitchen island which, when closed, is a simple kitchen island with a continuous granite work surface that covers the induction hob. A specially designed guide system has been invisibly integrated into the furniture and makes the extended granite panel appear virtually weightless.
hacker.ae indesignlive.com
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Simone Leamon DISCUSSION MAKES THE WORLD GO aROUND and while this is the final comment for simone, her curtain call has approached with a “FAREWELL AND THANKS FOR THE TAKE-AWAYS…” portrait James Geer illustration Alex Buccheri
he world has changed (again) and the stakes are higher than ever. Now we’re facing a full-fledged revolution – a hypercompetitive world involving art and gifts and fear and the ability for you (for anyone) to make an indispensible contribution to something you care about.” – Seth Godin, Linchpin (Penguin, 2010) This is my fond farewell, for now, to you – the readers of Indesign. After five years and eighteen columns, I am stepping down from my position as resident opinionist to explore some projects I’ve had on the backburner. So, as a parting gesture, I want to share what I’ve learnt in researching and writing these columns. Incidentally, I didn’t take on this position because I wanted to be a writer. Truth is, the writing part scared me to bits. Getting the words right can be arduous, and I feared embarrassing myself. But thankfully, I stopped worrying about comma placement and just got on with it. Besides, natural ability counts for little without intent (another Godin quote!) I committed to this post for one reason: I felt it was time to speak up. Five years ago we had very little public comment from Australian designers, outside of academia. Just a handful of home-grown architects – notably, Sydney-based Tone Wheeler and Melbourne-based Stuart Harrison and Simone Knott – were sticking their necks out, producing excellent design commentary while simultaneously practising architecture. When I expressed my dissatisfaction to Indesign’s Paul McGillick about the scarcity of voices coming from within my own field, industrial design, he responded by offering me this opportunity. As a design practitioner, it’s very easy to have expectations of your industry,
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to hold opinions and pass judgement on the work it produces. I’d like to say that designers arrive at these positions via considered reflection – but that’s not always true. Reflection entails study, grappling with your thoughts and a degree of self-examination. So, I embarked on this position like a designer would on an inquiry-based project. My aim was to comprehend design and design practice in a critical way – by contemplating my own experiences, and seeking out conversations with members of Australia’s multidiscipline design community, and our collaborators. Right now, I feel that design resembles a kind of grotesque – a fantastically distorted realm that looks very different from ten, even five years ago. We’re seeing huge changes to our work, practice, business and stakeholder dialogues. In the spirit of Godin’s opening quote, in this time of great change, uncertainty, competition and opportunity, I’d like to offer five “take-aways” I have gleaned from engaging with the design community from this particular chair… 1. Think big – innovate and challenge yourself: As a design practitioner, I believe you have two choices: 1. Be good (or bad) at your job and deliver solutions by rote or; 2. Expect to do remarkable work for your clients, co-workers, audiences and yourself by leaning wholeheartedly into the arguments, conditions and environments that you find unsatisfactory. If you aspire to change these circumstances, and transform how people think, feel and live their lives, you must do remarkable work. You can’t just “do your job” anymore. Design has big things to accomplish! 2. Know your peers, potential partners and collaborators: In this role I have spoken with numerous
people about what they do, the systems they work within, and what they know about other design professions. I’ve been searching for common ground, trying to understand our similarities and differences. My conclusion? Sadly, as a fraternity of designers and business people, we don’t really know each other. Nor do we really know our collaborators and partners. I’m passionate about fostering creative dialogues between Australian designers and manufacturers. From experience, things happen after the “getting to know you” phase, leading to dialogue and intense scrutiny of the creative or commercial problem at hand. Only then can designer and manufacturer work together to re-contextualise the problem and find a solution. Just think what we – the design industry – could accomplish if we all knew each other better. 3. Tap into opportunities: Design’s popularity is on the rise, and let’s be frank: so too is the competition between events, awards, festivals and design organisations. Almost monthly I receive a media release announcing “Australia’s most prestigious new design XYZ…” No one organisation, enterprise or voice owns Australian design. But soon, to stay relevant, they’ll all need your “art and gifts” – so work out exactly what they are, and help these organisations to help you. 4. Share what you do: Designers are capable of great things – but too often, for reasons grounded in fear, they don’t share them. For years, I too have sat on ideas, designs and contacts, waiting for the perfect time and opportunity
to pounce. The truth is, if that contact doesn’t return your call, if your idea is going to “bomb”, or be slammed or copied – it’ll happen. These days, with the technology now readily to hand, it’s much easier to share. People who are extremely generous in sharing appear to be doing much better than those of us who aren’t. 5. It never hurts to say thank you! Thanks Indesign for the opportunity and five great years. Thanks Lou, Din and Meg for helping me become a better writer. And thanks to you, the design community, for reading and for sharing. Let’s keep the conversation open and ongoing.
Simone LeAmon is a designer, artist and the director of O.S INITIATIVE design and creative strategy studio.
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Anthony Gill director at Anthony Gill Architects
Vy Nguyen senior development manager at urban growth NSW
new on the block a new look konfurb collaborates with indesign to bring together a clutch of emerging talents around a range of outstanding green products.
konfurbindesign Clockwise from top left ‘American
White Oak’ acoustic screen with a clear coating from Screenwood (throughout); ‘Coco pendant’ by Kate Stokes for Coco Flip Design Studio from Workshopped; Muuto ‘Around’ coffee table in grey and Muuto ‘Cosy’ lamp in grey both from Great Dane Furniture; Sanseviera Masoniana ‘Congo’ plant and small ‘Rubber Tote’ both from Garden Life; ‘Tundra Friendly Tiles’ in Moss and Pasque Leaf from Signature Floors.
konfurb The Konfurb SLICE is available
in 4 unique pieces, when used together in the standard 4 piece configuration, the SLICE provides 4 individual zones offering privacy. Alternatively the SLICE can be used as a stand alone piece (pictured left) or as a 2 and 3 piece unit. The XTREME Task chair (pictured left) is tested and certified with AFRDI 142 Level 6, GreenTag Level A, backed with a comprehensive 10 year warranty. This ergonomically superior chair, designed and manufactured to European standards will enhance every working space and user.
Rachel Luchetti & Stuart Krelle directors at Luchetti krelle, interior design firm
konfurb + Indesign pHOTOGRAPHY tim robinson styling alicia sciberras art direction one8one7
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hires requested and other options
One Culture
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words Paul McGillick photography peter bennetts & Douglas Mark Black architect Hassell & Fitzpatrick + Partners location perth | aus PROJECT BHP BILLITON
Brookfield Place and the BHP BILLITON tower have added a new dimension to the Perth CBD
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new edition Perth’s hospitality scene has had a major design shake-up with the opening of The Print Hall as part of the Brookfield Place development
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words Anna Flanders photography Earl Carter architect Projects of Imagination location Perth | AUS PROJECT Print Hall
he Print Hall is a defining hospitality build in the Perth CBD. It brings together heritage refurbishment and contemporary eating and drinking experiences in a threelevel dining and bar concept smack-bang in Perth’s business district. The venue is housed in the former Newspaper House on St Georges Terrace. Part of the impressive Brookfield Place development, the venue offers five distinct experiences: Small Print (a baker & roastery) in the basement; Print Hall (bar & dining room) on the ground level offering two different experiences; The Apple Daily (bar & eating house) on the first floor; and Bob’s Bar on the rooftop. Melbourne-based design studio, Projects of Imagination, is behind the interior concept for client Colonial Leisure Group (CLG). Run by directors, Nick Cox and Dion Hall, the studio launched in 2007 and is fast becoming a fixture on the design scene for its delivery of business strategy with design solutions. “Laurence Dowd (CEO of CLG) and myself are childhood friends,” says designer, Nick Cox. “We were commissioned to design Half Moon in 2010 and following the success of that project we have continued the relationship. Our expertise also lies in business strategy, so for the Print Hall we proposed that each level offered a new experience, both in the offer and design outcome.” The brief for the Print Hall was to design multiple venues over multiple levels, all under (and on top of) the one roof. It was determined to incorporate the building’s important Perth printing history (it was the home of The West Australian newspaper and its printing presses) into the design to give the new venue a sense of place in the new development. “Architecturally, the building presented an incredible opportunity to embrace its internal atrium and vertical circulation zones. Along with this key aspect of the building’s floor plate and its historical notes, we developed a material palette that assists the stitching of its past to now – its current use,” says Nick.
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THIS PAGE Ground level in the Print Hall Bar. The designers worked with the soaring atrium to create a grand feel in the main bar area of the Print Hall. Heritage features have been retained and emphasised with brass installation (right) that draws the eye up into the void.
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OUT OF THE CAVE
An underground auditorium is a bold and innovative solution to a school’s needs
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words Philip Drew photography Sharrin Rees architect PTW location Sydney/AUS PROJECT Sydney Grammar School Assembly Hall
or early humans, caves were sites of magic as surviving charcoal and ochre representations of animals adorning them testify. Underground buildings say something about threats, real or perceived. They also turn architecture upside down in so many ways: they have no facades, no outlook, no surroundings, instead of being positive objects in space, they are composed of negative voids in which buildings are merely structures within an excavated volume. Piles were driven into the rock of the Sydney Grammar School playground to a depth sufficient to achieve safe bearing. Then five steel arches were bolted together from three smaller elements and mounted on the piles for the roof. The roof (comprised of short precast beam units) was then constructed overhead to act as a single playground surface. The sandstone was removed to a depth of 20 metres to produce the necessary volume. The walls of the excavation were left in their rough pristine state, leaving all the tooling marks, and slanting drains were cut to capture seepage along beds of weaker rock. After this was accomplished, it was a relatively straightforward matter to build the auditorium’s tiered seating and the two galleries that wrap around the sides of the auditorium. Lighting gantries and catwalks have been eliminated to keep everything simple. A technical gallery is located around the top and lighting to the auditorium is mounted on the sides. Surrounding clerestory windows below the playground around the outside admits daylight.
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ISSUES AND IDEAS AROUND DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE 183
AUCKLAND’S RETAIL SOUK
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