Design Quarterly Issue 46

design quarterly people products parties

46

2012 winter $9.00 AUD $9.00 NZD

crowd funding career kickstarts passion for flooring bolon by missoni brisbane indesign qld design shines

milan furniture fair top products on the world stage

DESIGN QUARTERLY ISSUE DQ46 winter 2012

inside word DQ Editor Alice Blackwood dq@indesign.com.au Art Direction Senior Designers Emma Warfield emma@indesign.com.au Lauren Mickan lauren@indesign.com.au Designer Frances Yeoland frances@indesign.com.au Junior Designer Alex Buccheri alex@indesign.com.au

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repare yourselves for a topical DQ issue – covering everything from the Millennial generation, to EuroCucina, crowd funding and more. Is it all sounding a bit complicated? You’re more familiar with all of these terms than you may think!

In Issue #46 we catch up with Angela Ferguson of Futurespace to discuss the future of the workplace – a topic that’s at the top of her daily working agenda.

Angela attended the recent Worktech 12 conference in Melbourne, which covered various issues including how to design office spaces which engage with techsavvy, work-ready graduates (otherwise known as the Millennial generation), while continuing to cater for their more established counterparts. You can find the discussion, reflections – and even a few answers – on page 68.

To the EuroCucina and one of the world’s largest international design events: the Milan Furniture Fair. Alternating between lighting and kitchens, the fair this year celebrated the latest trends and advances in the modern kitchen. We speak with furniture fair veteran Russell Sloss of Gelosa, to get his thoughts on the EuroCucina (which, I might add, he’s now attended 12 times with a total of 25 visits to the fair). The kitchen halls of 2012 were perhaps a little thin on the ground, with the global recession taking a big bite out of high-end design – but Russell feels confident that the industry will bounce back. Read his comments and more in our Open Forum section on page 12.

On topics of crowd funding – here is an initiative that will help you kick-start your career. Crowd funding is an online phenomenon that allows you, a designer with an excellent concept, to draw on the collective support of people who pool together to fund your project. Many creatives have already reaped the benefits of crowd funding, including a few familiar faces such as Jason Bird of Brisbanebased company Luxxbox. Read about their crowd funding journies on page 65.

Thinking on Brisbane and the Queensland creative scene, you can catch our full follow-up coverage of Brisbane Indesign. Check out the creative collaborations born from The Project, meet the people, see the products, and re-live Up Late with Design – a fusion of fashion, interior design, architecture, culture, art, lighting, music, food, drink and entertainment.

Before I leave you, I want to prepare you for a surprise. The next issue of DQ will come to you in a totally new form – we’re going smaller, lighter, sleeker, more flickable... and more about you. Stay tuned!

Alice

Production Manager Shannon Smith shannon@indesign.com.au Advertising Traffic Elizabeth Davy-Hou liz@indesign.com.au Advertising Enquiries / Online Advertising Enquiries Laura Garro – Southern States (61) 423 774 126 laurag@indesign.com.au Contributing Writers Anna Flanders, Annie Reid, Aya Maceda, Elana Castle, Giovanna Dunmall, Jenna Reed Burns, Joan-Maree Hargreaves, Lieu Thi Pham, Linda Cheng, Mandi Keighran, Mark Gambino, Ola Bednarczuk, Patricia Nelson, Paul McGillick CEO / Publisher Raj Nandan raj@indesign.com.au

Annica & Marie Eklund of BOLON, with BOLON by Missoni collection, available in Australia through TAG – The Andrews Group, Photo: Courtesy of BOLON Alice portrait: Michael Gazzola, Studio 11 Correction DQ#45 Image 8 on page 17 in the News Bites section, is incorrectly numbered. Image 8 relates to story 13 on page 18, entitled A Solid Start; it depicts the ‘Motif’ basin by Thomas Coward for Omvivo, a recipient of a Staron Design Award in 2011.

Published under licence by Indesign Publishing Pty Ltd ABN 96 101 789 262 Head Office (Sydney) L1, 50 Marshall Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 (61 2) 9368 0150, (61 2) 9368 0289 (fax) info@indesign.com.au indesignlive.com Subscriptions subscriptions@indesign.com.au AUSTRALIA $25 (inc GST) 1 year / $50 (inc GST) 2 years INTERNATIONAL $50AUD 1 year / $100AUD 2 years DQ is a wholly owned Australian publication, which is designed and published quarterly in Australia. DQ is available through subscription, at major newsagencies and bookshops nationally.

Subscriptions – never miss an issue by subscribing online at indesignlive.com, faxing us at (61 2) 9368 0289, or emailing subscriptions@indesign.com.au. Design Quarterly is a quarterly publication fed by who is doing what in the design industry, championing the personality behind design. It aims to promote and create the next generation of design as well as supporting those designers who are more established. The Editor accepts submissions from writers/photographers/illustrators for editorial consideration. We encourage those working in the design industry to submit news and announcements, so we can keep readers abreast of your new developments. Editorial submissions should be made out to the Editor alice@indesign.com.au. Any digital images should be supplied on CD at 300dpi with a minimum width of 15cm. Please also supply full contact details and captions with images. Contributions are submitted at the sender’s risk, and DQ cannot accept any loss or damage. Please retain duplicates of text and images. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any other means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise. The publishers assume no responsibility for errors or omissions or any consequences of reliance on this publication. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, the publisher or the publication. Magazine Stock Our printer is Environmental Management System ISO14001:2004 accredited and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) chain of custody certified. Printing inks are vegetable based. Paper is environmentally friendly ECF (elemental chlorine free) and recyclable.

Printed in Singapore.

PA to Publisher Elizabeth Davy-Hou liz@indesign.com.au Editorial Director Paul McGillick editor@indesign.com.au Operations Manager Adele Troeger adele@indesign.com.au Financial Director Kavita Lala kavita@indesign.com.au Business Manager Darya Churilina darya@indesign.com.au Accounts Gabrielle Regan gabrielle@indesign.com.au Jana Kralikova jana@indesign.com.au Online Editor Ola Bednarczuk ola@indesign.com.au Online Rish Raghu rish@indesign.com.au Ramith Verdheneni ramith@indesign.com.au Radu Enache radu@indesign.com.au Gareth Parker gareth@indesign.com.au Events and Marketing Kylie Turner kylie@indesign.com.au Tegan Richardson tegan@indesign.com.au Hannah Kurzke hannah@indesign.com.au

DESIGN QUARTERLY ISSUE DQ46 winter 2012

contents REGULARS 12 Open Forum 14 News 16 News Bites 20 Products 26 Emerging Talent

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Industry 89 PARTIES

Brisbane Indesign

Great Dane Stylecraft

Dance for Life

Temperature Design Desso

Halo Lighting 102

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“ People want environments where they can live, work and play ... we would rather live in places that have that energy” Tim Jones, Artscape, page 81

104

ON THE MOVE DIARY

FEATURES 31 PEOPLE

Faye Toogood

Annica and Marie Eklund Autobahn

Arthur Koutoulas

Another Country 43 EVENTS Milan Furniture Fair

Brisbane Indesign

International Furniture Fair Singapore

Manila Fame

63 BUSINESS

Report – Pay it Forward

Comment – Angela Ferguson Stylecraft

Winning Appliances

Australian Workstation Manufacturers

Living Edge

discussion:

harnessing creativity 79

84

case study: breath of fresh air 84

case study:

enabling useR experience 86

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page 58 – saturday in design turns 10 in melbourne

NEWS

01 01 FURNITURE DESIGN

Distinctive yet stylish, many of Moroso’s pieces encourage you to sit upside down, to the side or even facing backwards.

Think of the generous planes of Moroso’s ‘Lowseat’ by Patricia Urquiola, the curving arm rests and descending seat base of the ‘Bohemian’ sofa and chairs, or the origami-like folds of ‘Paper Planes’ by Doshi & Levien – all encourage you to shift around and settle in comfortably.

With the ‘Lowseat’ for example, “you have to sit in it in very social ways,” says Moroso’s export area manager, Valerio Vestri. He himself sits down, but sideways, arm leaning against the backrest.

“Up to four people can sit on one seat,” he says. “You don’t realise how many uses a small piece of furniture can have...”

Founded 60 years ago exactly, Moroso has had an enduring innings

and continues as a star player on the global design stage, renowned for appealing to different design tastes while remaining uniquely and distinctively Moroso-esque.

Of the brand’s design ethos, Vestri says: “The main issue is to set the trends, define the limit and go beyond that limit.” This is achieved through collaborations with top-of-the-game designers – around 35 internationally, Patricia Urquiola leading the mix.

“They [each] have different rules, heritage, attitude,” says Vestri. “It’s a melting pot of different cultures all together.”

At this year’s Milan Furniture Fair, the Moroso stand was landscaped with new and intriguing design pieces. Around 20 new collections were shown – some resolved, others still in development and open for feedback from visitors to the stand.

Highlights included Urquiola’s ‘M.a.s.s.a.s’ modular sofa, its raised stitching deconstructing the couch’s linear aesthetic; as well as new sofas from Diesel’s Successful Living range.

Alfredo Häberli’s iconic ‘Take a Line For a Walk’ seats were also relaunched with padded, soft upholstery – the shell-like seat offering users a soft refuge from the hectic atmosphere of the surrounding fair. hub furniture (61 3) 9652 1222 hubfurniture.com.au

02 rug design

Perth rug doyenne Jenny Jones of Jenny Jones Rugs has been named a top rug designer at the Domotex Carpet Design Awards.

Jones took out the Best Modern Design Superior category at the recent event in Hanover, Germany, making her the first Australian to take home the prestigious accolade.

The winning rug, ‘Ruby Room Aqua’, is part of the Jenny Jones

by Jaipur 2012/13 Connextion Collection, which is Jones’ first international range. The collection came about through the seven-year relationship between Jones and the Rajasthan-based Jaipur Rug Company, which is the leading rug supplier to the United States.

“Jaipur invited me to work on this collection back in 2009. It’s taken until 2012 to release it. I wanted to create a range that would easily work in interiors, so my colour palettes were very important – they needed to work in harmony with other

decorator elements used in today’s spaces,” says Jones.

Contemporary colourways – neutrals, blues and greens to brights and liquorice – feature across 20 designs and provenance is a strong feature of the Connextion Collection, so each rug is sold with its story from concept to weaving and delivery.

“I want people to understand their rug’s journey,” says Jones. “Each rug can travel through the skilled hands of up to 50 artisans and can take more than a year to make.

“Handwoven rugs are true masterpieces, with up to 1.7 million knots to form any one of my designs.

These pieces are true works of art by highly skilled and passionate artisans,” she says.

Jones travelled to the High Point textiles fair in the US in April for the American launch of the collection.

Jenny Jones Rugs (61 8) 9286 1200 jennyjonesrugs.com

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designquarterly.com.au

“ What is inviting design? What is inviting?

What does it mean to be inviting to somebody?”

02

03 03 furniture DESIGN

Each ALIAS item is effortlessly and beautifully resolved, but first comes a highly technical and conceptual development.

ALIAS recently brought back its majority share from the Poltrona Frau Group, thus fulfilling its vision to find new designs, innovate and create new technologies along the way. There still remains a strong commercial synergy between the two brands, says marketing manager Andrea Sanguineti, but ALIAS can now freely focus on the development and production of an object, and not wholly on the final result.

Founded in 1970, ALIAS has strong relationships with the world’s most talented designers. You may recognise the super cool ‘To’Taime’ clothes stand, or bespoke fitness range by Philippe Starck for ALIAS;

Bo Strange, FurnID

or the 1980s icon ‘Spaghetti’ chair

by Giandomenico Belotti – which is still as relevant today as it was some 30 years ago.

The ‘Tagliatelle’ (pictured left) by Jasper Morrison is a contemporary reincarnation of the ‘Spaghetti’ chair, paying homage to the enduring nature of the design. The most beautiful element of the ‘Spaghetti’ is the simplicity in materials (metal and PVC) and the PVC’s ability to stretch and mould to the body before returning to its original form.

More than three decades on, “the good thing we’ve done with the ‘Tagliatelle’ is resolve the way the band is attached to the structure,” says Sanguineti.

Often the design process takes the form of an informal, think-tank style collaboration between the designer and ALIAS, where, “we arrive with technology and the designer with new trends and the [conceptual ideas].”

When it comes to the technicalities of a design, ALIAS is all-embracing. The brand joins its collaborators in following a line of investigation, conceiving products like the ultra-lightweight ‘Frame’, an aluminium hydro-formed chair that uses the same technology as bicycle frames. There’s also the ‘Laleggera’

by Riccardo Blumer, which emulated nature in producing an extremely strong object from a minimum of materials – in this case, wood and polyurethane.

You can find ALIAS products in Australia, through Corporate Culture.

Corporate Culture (61 3) 9066 1177 corporateculture.com.au

04 04 Furniture Design

FurnID was recently in Australia as guests of Great Dane. Here, they talk about their approach to design.

It’s hard to think of a more inviting day of the week than Sunday. So, it is hardly surprising that Danish design duo, FurnID – who have a focus on creating inviting design – have named their new couch ‘Sunday Sofa’. Bo Strange and Morten Kjær Stovegaard were recently in Australia as guests of Great Dane to celebrate the furniture retailer’s 10th birthday and talk about the ‘Sunday Sofa’. FurnID’s approach of creating inviting design is a founding principle of the studio. “We spent almost a year writing a manifesto,” says Strange.

“What is inviting design? What is inviting? What does it mean to be inviting to somebody? We studied this intensely.” After speaking to

psychologists, art historians and anthropologists, Strange and Kjær Stovegaard began applying the philosophy to furniture and product design.

The low, Italian-style ‘Sunday Sofa’ is also testament to FurnID’s talent for translating classic lines and forms into thoroughly contemporary pieces.

“With the buttons of ‘Sunday Sofa’,” says Kjær Stovegaard, “it pushes it back a little bit more to classic furniture, even though it’s a very modern piece of furniture that you can put together as you like. It’s a very modern concept, but it’s not too clinical.”

The key to the success of FurnID’s future classics, they say, is founded in close relationships and collaborations with manufacturers – an approach they liken to that of Danish designers in the 1950s. “Many designers think you are done when your sketch is done,” says Strange. “I think they are very mistaken. Innovation can happen in the workshop just as well as it can on paper.”

Great Dane (61 3) 9417 5599 greatdanefurniture.com

Products

PRODUCTS 01

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02 01 La Seóra Indulge in an afternoon siesta with this award-winning hammock made from Birch marine plywood and stainless steel. Features an adjustable footrest and integrated armrests.

Seora info@seora.co seora.moonfruit.com

02 MIO ‘Mio’ by Rolf Benz answers your practical and personal needs, with height and seat-depth options. And it will age gracefully thanks to a light wax coating over the soft leather.

04 Cottage Constructed from corten steel and natural Firwood, this petite cottage is an exercise in minimal design and superior styling. Definitely a musthave for your backyard!

MF Collections 1300 883 406 mfcollections.com.au

05 Beolit 12 Paying tribute to the 1960s transistor ‘Beolit’ radios, ‘Beolit 12’ offers a bestin-class portable sound experience.

Designed by Cecilie Manz, it features wireless Apple AirPlay technology.

Bang & Olufsen (61 3) 9835 7700 bang-olufsen.com

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Ultimo Interiors (61 8) 9201 2479 ultimointeriors.com.au

03 Under The Bell This Muuto pendant light promotes space-sharing, embracing and sheltering the people beneath it. “The recyclable plastic felt even absorbs sound,” say designers Iskos-Berlin.

Forest For The Trees (61 2) 9906 1705 forestftt.com.au

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06

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06 CABRITS Making its debut at the Milan Furniture Fair, the ‘Cabrits’ with its ‘double-dip’ ergonomic form is shaped to cradle its bathers, offering mid and lower back support.

07 Burnished Gold Teak This rich timber is enhanced by artisans who facet, scrape, distress and polish each board. Finished in 18th century-style golden browns, with a distressed polished surface.

Victoria + Albert 1300 737 779 vandabaths.com/aus

Royal Oak Floors by Harper & Sandilands (61 3) 9826 3611 royaloakfloors.com.au

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09

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09 Limed Oak Porter’s Finished Floors are hand brushed or scraped for a worn look; protected using UV-cured Aluminium Oxide clear finish. ‘Limed Oak’ has a natural chalky, smooth feel.

10 MARRAKESH We love the patterning of ‘Marrakesh Noir sur Vert’, fusing modern-day materials with a motif drawn from centuries of design. Available in ‘Blanc sur Vert’ and ‘Noir sur Noir’.

Porter’s Paints 1800 656 664 porterspaints.com

Skheme (61 2) 8755 2300 skheme.com

13 Branca Inspired by tree branches, the ‘Branca’ from Mattiazzi exudes a classic American feel. Seat and back are carved from a single piece of wood.

Below, finished in green wax Ash. Herman Miller (61 2) 8211 0480 hermanmiller.com.au

11 Whirl Tapware with a twist, the ‘Whirl’ mixer range features a ceramic disc cartridge for temperature adjustment and flow control; silicon aerators prevent calcium and lime build-up.

Dorf 131 416 dorf.com.au

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08 HOME 1 LOUNGE Extending the ‘Home’ collection of single armchairs and lounges, ‘Home 1’ offers a contemporary take on the traditional wingback. GECAlicensed for minimal-impact life cycle.

Stylecraft 1300 306 960 stylecraft.com.au

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12 Kaba E-Flash ‘Kaba E-Flash’ offers a durable, highstrength residential locking system.

The range has proximity card and biometric (fingerprint) models for apartments and free-standing homes.

Kaba Australia 1300 728 088 kaba.com.au

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PEOPLE FAYE Toogood

Designer Du Jour An impressive list of collaborators including Burberry, Comme des Garçons, Sony, Pernod Ricard and Vitra has made Faye Toogood the stylist and designer of the moment for brands looking to reach out to their audiences in unique and creative ways, writes Ola Bednarczuk.

Luxxbox 1/66 McLachlan Street Fortitude Valley QLD P +61 7 3310 4767 info@luxxbox.com www.luxxbox.com

Milk · Tingle · Harlie

by Luxxbox Stackable · 100% Recyclable LDPE · GECA Certified

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I

’m interested in the essence of things,” Faye Toogood explains of her work, which sees her studio engage chefs, artists and even perfumiers and sommeliers to create immersive installations that engage all the senses.

After studying art history and fine art at the UK’s University of Bristol, Toogood kicked off her career as a stylist for The World of Interiors magazine. Although she credits the iconic glossy as being fundamental to her sense of self – “it was there that I really developed this sense of space,” she says – after eight years, styling for a two-dimensional format proved unsatisfying.

“I became extremely frustrated that I had no connection with the viewer,” she recalls. “You produce this picture and then that’s it.

You don’t know how that’s being communicated. So I wanted to start creating spaces that people could experience. I wanted the installations to stay around, [whereas] when you’re on a shoot it’s gone in two days. I’m happy with temporary things, but I wanted to have that connection.”

Studio Toogood’s first threedimensional installation was for the 2009 London Design Festival.

Inspired by the colours and forms of 20 th-century art and architecture, it had all the hallmarks of Toogood’s characteristic later work – playful spaces with a nod to the past, creating an instant sense of delight.

“I’m very happy in these little worlds I create. They’re kind of escapes I guess, and insights into my imagination,” Toogood says. “For me, it’s sort of like giving a present, because it’s quite selfish when you give something and then you wait and see how everyone reacts to it.”

Toogood’s first installation outside Europe is The Blocks, a project for Australian winery Penfolds which seeks to demystify wine by allowing it to be experienced

through sight, touch and smell as well as taste. Five contemporary Australian artists were enlisted to visually interpret five different grape varieties. Wooden totems created by Toogood and her team are impregnated with scents especially developed to reflect the qualities of the grapes they represent. Visitors choose which wine they’d like to drink by smelling and seeing – using their instinct instead of being guided by an obscure set of tasting notes.

In the world of brand communication, it’s a direct contrast with the sensory overload that’s become the norm, where “you walk into any retail space and there’s film and video, everything is shouting at you,” Toogood says. She engages participants subtly, emotionally – and creative brands have been quick to realise the potential of her work. “[Companies] are all looking for a different way of communicating themselves which is not so insular,” she explains.

“I think 10 years ago a brand like Penfolds may have gone to a really big ad agency and would have produced a super slick advertising campaign or super slick installation on the history of wine or something like that, but it’s not enough now.

I think people expect a lot more from brands and they expect a lot more connection. And if you don’t connect with people, you’re not getting anywhere.”

The most personally rewarding projects for Toogood are the ones that stretch her limits. “When you’re working with a creative person and

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they’re pushing you even more – that’s exciting!” she says.

At the top of her list of dream collaborators is fashion designer Dries Van Noten. “I absolutely, really really adore his work and the fact that he’s remained independent within the fashion world – he’s not been bought out by a big fashion company. He’s true to himself, and I think all his collections are stunning and his fashion shows are beautiful.

I’d love to do a fashion show with Dries Van Noten.”

The Blocks was staged in Sydney in March and in Melbourne in May this year. Select Toogood pieces are available through Portal+ in Perth.

Studio Toogood (44) 7964 130 874 studiotoogood.com portal+ (61 8) 9384 1787 portal-plus.com

Clockwise from top left » Faye Toogood, Photo: Paul Barbera » The Blocks, Sydney, Photo: Paul Barbera » ‘Spade’ chair by Faye Toogood » The Blocks, Sydney, Photo: Paul Barbera

MELBOURNE 9818 7799 SYDNEY 9368 0484 www.radfordfurnishings.com

4/05/12 12:05 PM

PEOPLE another country

keeping up with demand Giovanna Dunmall visits the Clerkenwell Design Week in London to meet with Another Country, a consumer-savvy brand new to Australian shores.

W

hat do you do if you can’t find the sort of furniture you like at an affordable price? If you’re the founding publisher of Wallpaper* magazine and a brand building supremo the answer is simple: you start making your own.

British furniture brand Another Country taps into the zeitgeist for all things timber and handmade. In the words of its Dutch-born Londonbased founder, Paul de Zwart, it’s about the “right combination of design quality, provenance and craftsmanship.” These are simple but sophisticated solid wood pieces that are both contemporary and timeless enough they are unlikely to fall out of fashion soon.

Another Country only launched in September 2010 but has seen a 400 per cent growth in turnover in that time. It launched in Melbourne earlier this year and de Zwart is genuinely excited. “Australia’s a country I know

well and that has a great urban aesthetic,” he enthuses. Despite the distance Another Country has already been shipping here for a while, so de Zwart has “high hopes” of increasing his visibility now that he has a partner down under. Australia’s design scene has “a pared-down, natural vibe coupled with a high level of urbanness into which AC fits very well.”

Another Country’s first collection distinguished itself with a rounded aesthetic and peg details on the seats, but the second is “more angular”, explains de Zwart. “We introduced more metals and worked with different timbers, Ash and Walnut as opposed to Oak.” More of Series Two can be disassembled and flat-packed for shipping.

“Series Two has a direct correlation to an aesthetic, the Belgian interior architecture aesthetic, where Series One was a distilled expression of a value, a belief, a principle,” he says in his trademark super-fast tones.

“You can’t hide from a stool that is sculpted out of solid wood you know.”

And he’s right, the original stool that launched the brand’s distinctive contemporary craft aesthetic, simply known as Stool One, is still the company’s best seller.

Other items are fast catching up and there’s a growing number to choose from. Last year Another Country presented a series of delectable desktop accessories, a clock, candlesticks and a pottery range that has sold out faster than potter, Ian McIntyre, can make them.

At the Clerkenwell Design Week (22 – 24 May), Another Country launched a new bar stool, an outdoor bench, four colour versions of German designer Mattias Hahn’s Series One chair and more pieces in its pottery range (a serving platter, side dish and small milk jug). Production has had to be partly relocated to Portugal due to growth, but all bespoke items and special commissions will continue to be hand made in the original Dorset workshop where the brand started out.

“I want the growth to be demandnot supply-driven,” says de Zwart, “I’m happy where we are and ready for more.” The same could be said for the brand’s growing army of fans.

Another Country’s products are now available in Australia through Luke. another country 44 (0)20 7193 5692 anothercountry.com Luke (61 3) 9999 8930 luke.com.au

Clockwise from top left » Paul de Zwart » Daybed & stool from Series One

EVE NT S

Dror for Tumi, a highlight at the Milan Furniture Fair

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EVENTs

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DQ picks out the top brands, products and designers at the milan furniture fair, brisbane indesign and more.

milan furniture fair • brisbane indesign • international furniture fair Singapore • manila fame

EVENTS milan furniture fair

Reading between the lines: Milan

I

t’s safe to say, that there have been more spectacular editions of the Milan Furniture Fair – and on the Australian front, attendance was certainly quieter this year than in previous. But none of this seemed to reduce the size, nor the avalanche of presentations and launches that were tightly packed into the five days of fair madness.

This year saw a return to the softer, rounder lines of more traditional furniture styles, infusing sofas, chairs and the like with a welcoming and homey appeal.

The return to this more traditional classicism heralds a move away from the cool, collected modernity of contemporary style that has been a popular direction for both contract and domestic furniture.

Also a standout was the use of colour, where whole ranges were finished in a spectrum of autumnal yellows and oranges. Contrasting this were bright, pop-out hues of greens, pinks and more that wowed on delivery, but left us wondering about the longevity of faddish fluoro tones.

Another interesting line of investigation was of the more fashionable kind, with a number

of brands launching products influenced by fashion phenomena – fabric, colour, pattern... some were even dressed in their upholstery (Benjamin Hubert for Poltrona Frau)!

Other brands teamed up with fashion labels (Vitra with G-Star, BOLON by Missoni), while designers released new collections for well-known fashion and accessory brands (Dror for Tumi, Arik Levy for Jules).

Here we present a selection of products gleaned from the Fiera and EuroCucina halls, as well as the city streets and design precincts around Milan where so much takes place during the furniture fair week.

Special thanks goes to SeehoSu and Office Spectrum for hosting DQ in Milan this year, and making this first-hand coverage possible.

milan furniture fair What: Annual international furniture fair When: 17 – 22 April 2012 Where: Milan, Italy » cosmit.it

01 PICO The ‘Pico’ collection featured prominently on the Mutina stand, wowing visitors with its muted tones and refined textural qualities.

“In this collection we have worked on defining a regularirregular texture, the result is the declension of two relief surfaces: Down, with sunken dots, and Up with elevated dots. Both reliefs are available in their natural, monochrome base colours: Blanc, Gris and Terre,” say designers of ‘Pico’, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec.

LIVING TILES (61 2) 9818 0000 livingtiles.com.au

02 PALIO The ‘Palio’ chair by Konstantin Grcic for Plank exemplifies the brand’s most outstanding qualities.

Rod Thorpe of Insitu Furniture says: “Plank excel in that most difficult achievement – products that look simple, but are actually modern design at its best, with all unnecessary elements removed.

“Plank combine this outstanding design philosophy with exceptional production quality,” he says. insitu furniture (61 3) 9428 9622 insitufurniture.com.au

03 AXOR Head of Axor, Philippe Grohe summarises one of the convictions driving Axor: “Individuality calls for diversity!” Diversity arises from the designers with whom Axor collaborates to produce luxuriously designed bathroom collections. bathe 1300 133 320 bathe.net.au hansgrohe (61 3) 9811 9971 hansgrohe.com.au

04 CROISSANT “The ‘Croissant’ table was designed

by Emilio Nanni for Billiani in 2010, the original table prototype was displayed with the first offerings of the Croissant range in Milan in 2011,” says Marnie HammondDonnelly of Café Culture.

“The collection was such a hit, Billiani launched the table and other new pieces at this year’s fair. The range now consists of dining chair, armchair, lounge chair, low stool, barstools and table. Table comes in various shapes, sizes and colours.”

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Café Culture (61 2) 9699 8577 cafeculture.com.au

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09 SAYA ‘Saya’, designed by Lievore Altherr Molina for Arper, is fabricated in Oak and finished in Teak with natural stain. Flaunting a rich colourwheel of autumnal shades, ‘Saya’ comes in white, black, ochre and three shades of red. stylecraft 1300 306 960 stylecraft.com.au

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06 TRADITIONAL SERIES “[Maruni is] one of the best furniture companies in Japan, renowned for producing traditional European style furniture,” says Maruni’s creative director, Naoto Fukasawa.

Working with Jasper Morrison, Fukasawa has produced a new edition lounge as part of the Traditional series, 2012 (pictured above); this is complemented by the ‘Club’ armchair by Morrison.

Both hark back to a more classic era in Maruni’s furniture. In fact the lounge is a revision of one of Maruni’s original, best-selling classic pieces.

“I’ve refined the size and the material [of the lounge],” says Fukasawa. “The original design was more decorative, more textile with texture, [and] really old fashioned.

People still like it. I want to make a bridge between the modern life and traditional mind,” he says.

07

05 ATELIER OÏ FOR LAUFEN To mark Laufen’s 120 th anniversary, Atelier Oï created an installation that interprets the two natural elements involved in ceramic production: water and fire. As part of the installation, 120 fluidly contoured basins form a flowing stream beneath the sweep of moving mirrors. bathe 1300 133 320 bathe.net.au cass brothers (61 2) 9569 5555 cassbrothers.com.au

SEEHOSU (61) 413 707 123 seehosu.com.au

10 TOBI-ISHI Barber Osgerby’s new table for B&B Italia is a little different from their original brief for a pedestal table.

Barber Osgerby say: “The base is quite a practical solution, even though it looks quite sculptural, it allows more people to join and sit around the table.

“It’s always interesting to work with a new company. We saw our relationship with [B&B Italia] as an opportunity to do what we do, in a place where there aren’t other people like us.”

Space Furniture (61 2) 8339 7588 spacefurniture.com.au

11 JINGLE ‘Jingle’ by Ludovica and Roberto Palomba for Zucchetti is “compact and squared, and user-friendly”.

“We wanted a pure object, where even the construction detail of a pipe or a chamfered edge, in the right proportions, expressed design with a rather “Castiglioni-like” simplicity,” they say. streamline products (61 3) 8545 0600 streamlineproducts.com.au

07 FOLIAGE & TWIG Patricia Urquiola’s ‘Foliage’ twoseater sofa for Kartell, shown in 2011, is joined by a smaller cosy armchair and the new ‘Twig’ series of side tables (above). The “twigs” act as a natural support to the table top.

Space Furniture (61 2) 8339 7588 spacefurniture.com.au

10 08 ELECTROLUX INSPIRATION RANGE The ‘UltraFlat CrossCook’ hob, part of Electrolux’s new Inspiration range, is a flat design answering the calls of minimalist kitchen trends.

The range of appliances extends across all categories, marrying simplicity with premium quality.

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ELECTROLUX 1300 363 640 electrolux.com.au

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EVENTS Saturday in design melbourne, 17 – 18 August

Flashbacks from Saturday in Design » Keith Melbourne at Launch Pad

Sydney

‘03 ‘04

Saturday in Design launches, with 38 exhibitors opening their showrooms to the architecture and design community. » Schiavello

Melbourne

‘05

The Saturday in Design concept has caught on, and the event grows to 59 exhibitors. The first Launch Pad invites emerging designers to submit prototypes of products for judging and exhibition at Saturday in Design.

» Launch Pad

Sydney

‘06

Saturday in Design grows to encompass 66 exhibitors, and Living Edge forms a new relationship with Launch Pad, as the program’s primary supporter.

» Tom Dixon

‘07

» Corporate Culture

Sydney Exhibitors grow to a record-breaking 91; star designer Tom Dixon presents at Pecha Kucha, Launch Pad and Anibou; Giulio Cappellini attends as a guest of Dedece.

Melbourne With 77 exhibitors, Saturday in Design has grown out of its Saturday spot, and event organisers introduce +Friday for VIP events and private viewings.

61

‘08

» Indesign with DesignOffice

» Busk+Hertzog

Melbourne The Project is launched; Herald Grundl of EOS attends with Walter Knoll and Living Edge; and Jeffrey Bernett of Studio B joins as a special guest of Space Furniture.

82 exhibitors take part in 2008.

» Tait with one8one7

‘10

‘09

Sydney Refined in size yet bigger than ever, 77 exhibitors attract 7500 visitors.

Word has spread with international visits from Busk+Hertzog, and Hiromichi Konno as a guest of Corporate Culture.

Melbourne Flinders Lane and Richmond’s 3121 Design Precinct emerge as the go-to precincts in Melbourne; UK designer Michael Young joins Living Edge for the festivities; 73 exhibitors are spread across 49 locations.

» Living Edge

» Chris Martin

‘11 ‘12

Sydney & SINGAPORE

Saturday in Design launches in Singapore.

In Sydney, The Project attracts a record 30 collaborations. Benjamin Hubert visits with Great Dane, Michael Young is at Living Edge, while Chris Martin (Massproductions) and Luis De Olivera (De La Espada) join Spence & Lyda.

Melbourne

Now a two-day event, Saturday in Design celebrates its 10 th birthday, and takes it back to the design community, asking five design firms to submit their ideal brief for The Project. The top-voted brief by Woodhead will be revealed in full visual form in just a month’s time…

» BW Furniture/Infinity with HASSELL & LASALLE College of Arts Singapore (Singapore 2011)

spaces stylecraft

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Pavilion living S

tylecraft has moved into Western Australia with a strong presence in Perth’s cool, innercity King Street precinct where home is one of the many heritage buildings that define this evolving area. The showroom’s location and dramatic design are intentionally bold moves by Stylecraft managing director Anthony Collins, who wanted to show the local design community that he is serious about moving into the Perth market.

“King Street has many benefits.

It is central to the CBD and is within walking distance for most of our clients,” says Collins. “The end where we are has many cafés and fashion houses and is quite vibrant.”

The Perth showroom is part of Stylecraft’s long-held plan to be a truly national brand. With a number of major projects in the city and the

Adelaide store launched in 2010, the time was right for the expansion.

“We are acutely aware of the importance of lead time when it comes to most Perth projects. We therefore have on display a greater range of product that we either hold in stock or can have made by Australian manufacturers,” says Collins.

Keith Dougal, of the Woods Bagot Adelaide office, was the design leader on the job, bringing in Stylecraft’s signature palette of white and charcoal with a touch of pink and timber (Navlam veneer), plus ensuring the space could morph easily from furniture showroom to presentation space and events venue.

“We had just finished the Adelaide Stylecraft showroom (in mid-2010) so the brief was to build on the Adelaide experience – to create a brandaligned space with its own individual identity,” says Dougal.

The Adelaide showroom started the trend to bring a uniqueness to each city store. While it has oversized string lanterns suspended from the ceiling in its long, tall space, the Perth showroom’s low ceiling, wide space with columns and Jarrah flooring challenged the Woods Bagot team and saw the evolution of pavilions within the building.

“Although it is not officially heritage, the building has good heritage-esque bones and we didn’t want to interfere with that. So, the pavilions create a dramatic feel when

you are in there, but they haven’t interfered with the building.”

The pavilions, with backlit Barrisol and Stylecraft’s signature quartz carpet flooring, also serve to meet the company’s merchandising direction – furniture set-ups to give ideas on how the pieces can be used. The pavilions and the use of charcoal paint (Dulux Spanish Eyes) also ensure that while the showroom is dramatic, the product is still the focus.

Also important is the ability to turn the space into a presentation area and events venue. Already planned for the Perth community are product presentations; the annual Stylecraft Bowling for Breast Cancer event; and a presentation by designer Alexander Lotersztain on the launch of his next Derlot collection.

“We want to show the [local] A&D community that we are committed to Perth. We want to show our clients there that we love design as much as them,” says Collins.

Text by Anna Flanders stylecraft Address: 61 King Street Perth, WA Phone: (61 8) 9466 4066 Showroom opened: February 2012 Designer: Woods Bagot Size: 230m 2 » stylecraft.com.au

spaces australian workstation manufacturers

polished production T

he Australian Workstation Manufacturers’ (AWM) headquarters in Sydney seamlessly blends a state-of-theart production facility with a sleek display arena and office space – providing clients with maximum convenience and fostering internal creativity. The opening of this showroom and then a similar display space in Perth has served to cement the group’s standing in the Australian market.

AWM’s no-fuss approach and its commitment to domestic production really sets it apart in what is a highly competitive industry. The notion of ‘buy Australian’ has provided the company with a level of transparency that fills customers with complete faith in its product.

Having the factory and showroom connected increases this openness by displaying the various processes.

It also enables the ultimate in flexibility, accommodating shifting deadlines or changes to an order.

Being able to complete 3D renders, make prototypes and then build and install the final product in-house are highly sought-after outcomes that add to the customer experience.

“A continued commitment to product design, expanding staffing levels and our exhibitions for Saturday in Design made it quite

clear to us that our Sydney showroom needed to reflect our company’s move to the next level,” explains marketing manager Kellie Booth. This reinforced the need to create a retail space to exhibit AWM’s product range. The group’s manufacturing capabilities had always been regarded highly, but the lack of a display site for finished items was proving somewhat limiting to the sales team.

Siren Design was employed to develop this fit-out, led by CEO and project leader Mia Feasey. The brief was fairly open-ended but it did stress the importance of the space in reflecting the company’s energetic nature. It was also essential that the space fostered a strong sense of community, offering a vibrant hub for all employees and prospective clients to connect with.

Flexibility was a key feature within the overall scheme. The modular nature fits well with the industrial feel, allowing for seamless transitions and the ease of changes to the layout of products on display.

A simple colour scheme facilitates this adaptability. A bold palette also reinforces the brand’s visual identity through repeated use of red, white and black – AWM’s signature colours.

The use of yellow in the boardroom helps to lift the area while also

injecting the space with a sense of vibrancy and dynamism.

Since its launch in 1993, the group has had a strong presence in Western Australia, completing many fit-outs around Perth. By 2011, regional growth in the market and speed of business underscored the obvious benefits of having a showroom there.

This was realised in June, with Siren Design producing a space in Perth for AWM that reflects the strength of the brand by echoing its Sydney counterpart through the use of colours and the mechanical, streamlined feel.

Text by Patricia Nelson

Awm AWM Sydney: 634 Botany Road Alexandria, NSW Phone: 1300 475 217 Showroom opened: August 2011 Designer: Siren Design Size: 220m 2 AWM Perth: 993–995 Hay Street Perth, WA Phone: 1300 475 217 Showroom opened: June 2012 Designer: Siren Design Size: 201m 2 » awm.net.au

FEA TUR ES

Joost Bakker, Melbourne Food and Wine Festival 2012, Photo: Earl Carter

designquarterly.com.au

features

79

dq looks at how we engage with one another through re-activated spaces, and fuse design and technology to enhance user experience.

harnessing creativity: discussion • breath of fresh air: case study • enabling user experience: case study

features discussion

designquarterly.com.au

harnessing creativity A

81

Architects and designers are key to the activation of new and disused buildings and precincts throughout the

world. Anna Flanders speaks with global expert Tim

Jones, who says it’s time to tap in to the Creative Age.

Clockwise from top left » Chasing Kitsune pop-up installation & food truck by HASSELL Melbourne studio, Photo: Bonnie Savage

ctivation and place-making. These are not new ideas, but they are definitely the current buzzwords for forward-thinking collaborators, organisations and developers. They speak of engaging a community through activating a space, precinct or town. And that activation can extend from pop-up size to a full precinct rethink and rebuild.

At the heart of this activation and place-making is creativity.

Think artists, designers, architects: creative people who thrive in a dynamic environment and desire a closer link to a market. And it’s the message of great thinkers such as Richard Florida, Charles Landry and John Howkins, who collectively recognise that creativity is key to the future growth and prosperity of our urban and rural centres.

One man considered a global leader in this area is Tim Jones. As the president and CEO of Toronto’s Artscape organisation, he specialises in community development and urban place-activation projects, and has led the visioning and development of award-winning creative infrastructure

projects. “It’s about bringing together a critical mass of creative people in a platform for collaboration where there’s ongoing activity. It’s not like we have to program the work, it just happens organically because we have a concentration of people and it serves as a catalyst and attracter of other creative people and initiatives,” he says.

Jones was in Perth recently at the invitation of the city’s own creative initiative, FORM. To a packed and enthusiastic audience, he spoke of the evolving practice of creative place-making – the “leveraging of the power of art, culture and creativity to drive an agenda for change, growth and transformation.”

He used Artscape initiatives as examples – such as Wychwood Barns and multi-tenant arts facilities in Toronto’s Queen Street West, Distillery Historic District and Regent Park precincts – to illustrate the success of activating a building or precinct through mixed-use initiatives that utilise the energy of creative people, the buy-in of a community and the financial power

PARTIES desso

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magic moments

02

desso

03

“ Guests lay back on islands created from Desso carpet tiles and opened their eyes to visions of light and colour” 01 Kristina Morgan, Michelle Evans 02 Katie Wain, Anna Sutherland 03 Rosalind Poerwanton, Vicky Yuan, Sonali Peiris 04 Celia Harmon, Geert Snaphaan, Andrew Sibley, Ainsley Gibbon 05 Liz & Barry Gray 06 George Metaxas, Paul Marshall

07 Richard Weinman with guests 08 Giuseppe Palumbo, Holly Rickard, Andrew Clifford 09 Reclining on islands of Desso carpet tiles 10 Gabriel Poulton, Melissa Noy 11 Elisabeth Tagtgolberg, Elizabeth Bryant 12 Tessa Kingsbury

What: Designer evening at Pipilotti Rist exhibition, installation featuring Desso carpet tiles Where: Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne When: March 2012 Guests: Architects, designers, specifiers, media Contact: (61 7) 3881 1777 » gibbongroup.com.au » desso.com

Glen Crawford 13 Tim Huggard, Frank Lohmoller

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DIARY july/august

september

october

EVENTS Young Blood Designers Market Powerhouse Museum, Sydney 27 – 29 July 2012 » powerhousemuseum.com

Furnitex and decoration + design Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre 19 – 22 July 2012 » furnitex.com.au » decorationdesign.com.au

Melbourne Art Fair Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne 1 – 5 August 2012

Helsinki Design Week Helsinki, Finland 6 – 16 September 2012

Grand Designs Live Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre 5 – 7 October 2012

» helsinkidesignweek.com

DIA Bubble and Speak INSPIRATION Breakfast Series Q1 Resort and Spa Hotel, Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast 16 September 2012 » design.org.au/bubbleandspeak

» granddesignslive.com.au

Saturday in Design Singapore Singapore 6 October 2012 » saturdayindesignsingapore.com

Grand Designs Live Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre 21 – 23 September 2012

DIA Bubble and Speak INSPIRATION Breakfast Series Emporium Hotel, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane 20 October 2012

Cersaie Bologna, Italy 25 – 29 September 2012

Orgatec Cologne, Germany 23 – 27 October 2012

» granddesignslive.com.au

» design.org.au/bubbleandspeak

» artfair.com.au

Saturday in Design Melbourne Melbourne 17 – 18 August 2012

» cersaie.it

» orgatec.com

» saturdayindesign.com.au

Sydney Design Sydney 27 October – 11 November 2012

Craft Cubed Festival Craft Victoria, Melbourne 3 August – 1 September 2012

» sydneydesign.com.au

» craftvic.org.au

Tokyo Designers Week Tokyo, Japan 27 October – 5 November 2012

13th International Architecture Exhibition Venice, Italy 29 August – 25 November 2012

» tdwa.com

» labiennale.org

Helsinki Design Week

EXHIBITIONS Designs on Innovation: Australian Fashion Design Tomorrow Gallery of Australian Design, Canberra 8 August – 15 September 2012 » gad.org.au

Launch Pad Finalists Exhibition Melbourne 17 – 18 August 2012 » launch-pad.com.au

UNEXPECTED PLEASURES: Curated by Susan Cohn National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Until 26 August 2012

Designers in Residence the brief: Thrift Design Museum, London 5 September 2012 – 27 January 2013 » designmuseum.org

18th Biennale of Sydney Sydney Until 16 September 2012 » bos18.com

Heatherwick Studio: Designing the Extraordinary Victoria and Albert Museum, London 31 May – 30 September 2012

WORKSHOPPED 12 Hill Street Precinct, Surry Hills, Sydney 31 October – 10 November 2012 » workshopped.com.au

Daniel Emma + Thomas Llewellyn Object Gallery Project Space, Sydney 8 September – 3 November 2012 » object.com.au

DUALISM by Chalit Kongsuwan Design Centre Tasmania, Launceston 3 September – 28 November 2012 » designcentre.com.au

» vam.ac.uk

» ngv.vic.gov.au

“ The workplace of the future is really about designing for these people who are coming into the workforce in a few years’ time.” angela ferguson – futurespace pAGE 68

“ Many designers think you are done when your sketch is done. I think they are very mistaken.” bo strange – furnid, pAGE 15

“ Mixed-use is the way to go. The idea that we plan entirely residential or commercial districts, or try to separate our employment uses from other uses doesn’t make sense.”

TIM JONES – ARTSCAPE, pAGE 81

“As a designer you need to put yourself in a creative hub and a commercial arena that allows you to serve people naturally and grow.” arthur koutoulas, pAGE 38

Design Centre Tasmania

ORGATEC

Melbourne Art Fair

COMPETITIONS James Dyson Award Entries close 2 August 2012 » jamesdysonaward.org

OWP Brillen International Eyewear Design Contest Entries close 31 August 2012 » owp.de

12th annual Andreu World International Design Contest Entries close 10 September 2012 » andreuworld.com

iF Design Awards 2013 Entries close 19 September 2012 » ifdesign.de

Heatherwick studio

“ K ickstarter was founded on the idea that there is value in the world beyond things that can make money.”

Justin Kazmark – kickstarter, pAGE 66

OUT NOW CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE