Frame #134 MAY/JUN by Frame

THE NEXT SPACE

TOWARDS OFF-GRID TRAVEL

Frame Awards 2020: our jury on the winners How Uwe Brückner choreographs space Why the future of co-working is suburban Margrethe Odgaard unpacks cultural colour codes Three proposals for on-the-go hospitality ISSUE 134 MAY — JUN 2020

BP BX €19.95 DE €19.95 IT €24.90 CHF 30 UK £14.95 JP ¥3,570 KR WON 40,000

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VDL Pavilion by Dion & Richard Neutra Molo Collection by Rodolfo Dordoni Band Collection by Patricia Urquiola Half Dome Lamp by Naoto Fukasawa Cala & Geometrics Rugs by Doshi Levien

CONTENTS 14

REPORTING FROM

BUSINESS OF DESIGN From suburban co-working spaces to

Athens and Auckland

sustainable shows

FLEXFORM

Upgrading the outdoors Riikka Kantinkoski, courtesy of Fyra

Inna Kablukova

IN PRACTICE

38 INTRODUCING Russian architect Eduard Eremchuk Courtesy of Margrethe Odgaard and Kvadrat

50 INFLUENCER Colour hunter Margrethe Odgaard 58

WHAT I’VE LEARNED

Atelier Brückner founder Uwe Brückner 67

THE CLIENT Ace Hotel’s chief brand officer Kelly Sawdon Frame 134

74 BMW Domagoj Dukec and Clemens Ascher on the BMW Concept i4

81 SPACES The inside scoop on the Frame Awards 2020 winners Courtesy of Roth Architecture

148 BRUNNER Planting partitions

162

Kuomin Lee, courtesy of Waterfrom Design

177 MARKET Highlights from Stockholm Design Week and EuroShop 192 IN NUMBERS Stiliyana Minkovskaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s maternity ward furniture in fact and figures 8

Contents

Francisco Nogueira, courtesy of Barefoot Luxury

153 HOSPITALITY LAB 154 Four design tactics that open up new territories to tourists 168 How hospitality can operate off site

KOMODO design Raffaello Galiotto

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FRAME is published six times a year by Frame Publishers Luchtvaartstraat 4 NL-1059 CA Amsterdam frameweb.com EDITORIAL - FE For editorial inquiries, please e-mail frame@frameweb.com or call +31 20 4233 717 (ext 921). Editor in chief Robert Thiemann – RT Head of content Floor Kuitert – FK Editor at large Tracey Ingram – TI Editors Anouk Haegens – AH Lauren Grace Morris – LGM Business editor Peter Maxwell – PM Editorial intern Iryna Humenyuk – IH Copy editors InOtherWords (D’Laine Camp) Design director Barbara Iwanicka Graphic designers Zoe Bar-Pereg Shadi Ekman Translation InOtherWords (D’Laine Camp, Maria van Tol)

PUBLISHING Director Robert Thiemann

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Contributors to this issue Polina Bachlakova – PB Christie Bakker – CB Leina Godin – LG Ivo de Jeu – IDJ George Kafka – GK Federico Monsalve – FM Shonquis Moreno – SM Alexandra Onderwater - AO Lauren Teague – LT

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Cover Natural Bond by Frame Awards Designer of the Year winner Note Design Studio for Tarkett (see page 29 and 84) Presented at the Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair Photo Jonas Lindström

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Lithography Edward de Nijs Printing Grafisch Bedrijf Tuijtel Hardinxveld-Giessendam

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CRISIS BREEDS CREATIVITY When we started work on this issue of Frame, the coronavirus was wreaking havoc in Southeast Asia, but seemed like distant thunder in the rest of the world. But by the time we went to print, the entire globe had been severely impacted. We are witnessing the closing of retail stores, bars, restaurants and museums. Music and sports events are being cancelled and offices are shutting down. In an attempt to slow down the outbreak of Covid-19, an increasing number of countries are now in lockdown mode. In our industry, this means that the majority of the design brands have closed their factories, design events destined to be held in the spring of 2020 have been cancelled, and the Milan, Clerkenwell and New York design weeks, as well as festivals in Iceland and Denmark and fairs like the Salone del Mobile and Light + Building have been postponed. The industry is bereft of a great number of occasions to showcase new products and market brands. What’s more, the design community will have to do without physical meetings, without inspirational presentations and without communal aperitivos for, most likely, months to come. We at Frame have asked ourselves what we can do to support our community in these extraordinary times. It’s in the nature of Frame to always look forward. To have an eye for innovation and promising initiatives. We also have a history of providing an inclusive platform for people with inspiring ideas from all backgrounds. We’ve decided on a dual strategy. In print you will continue to find well-informed stories on

the people and phenomena that drive spatial design forward. In this issue’s Lab we investigate how hospitality can go off-grid to combat overtourism. Also read our jury’s thoughts on the winning projects of the 2020 Frame Awards. Learn from the interviews with some of our industry’s inspirational leaders in the In Practice section and discover what’s happening on the business side of design. Online we’ve started to publish stories about new technologies that enable people to come together, to discuss and experience communal activities, from pure leisure to culture and work. We’re reporting on museums hosting exhibitions on social media, fairs organizing online viewings and other ingenious ideas to somehow maintain business as usual. For us the question is: How will the coronavirus impact our use of space? Will we see paradigm changes for years to come? After all, if we’ve learnt one thing from history, it is that humankind’s powers of innovation tend to peak in times of crisis.

Robert Thiemann Editor in chief

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: MAXIMUS LUCE MARBLE : LINE WOOD

George Kafka considers the role of designers in Athens amid ongoing conflicts surrounding citizenship and border controls at the edges of Europe.

The legacy of the 2009 economic crisis continues to play a significant role in shaping the built environment of Athens. Although the state has taken a back seat in the planning and form of the city for much of its modern history, the crisis exacerbated its absence. Over the last decade, large-scale projects for public use in Athens have tended to arise from philanthropic sources – such as the Onassis or Stavros Niarchos Foundations – with the jobs falling to international architects: Paris-based Architecture-Studio and Renzo Piano, respectively. For smaller local practices, private apartment renovations are the predominant source of new work. The city’s sprawling landscape of mid-20th-century apartment buildings (known as polykatoikia) are a rich resource of housing stock well-suited to modern adaptation and reinvention. And young practices such as Hiboux and MoY are adept at maximizing the free plans of their apartment projects, balancing original details with new flourishes and traditional craftsmanship. Yet the proliferation of such projects across the portfolios of contemporary studios is indicative of a broader, more sinister trend. In these bright and breezy renovations, we might identify an architecture of the ‘Golden Visa’: the government initiative that allows wealthy individuals from

outside Greece and the European Union to purchase a residence permit via a €250,000 investment in the property market. Predominantly taken up by Chinese citizens, the Golden Visa programme has turbo-charged the increase in Airbnb and other short-term rental properties across the city, with particular saturation in the neighbourhoods of Koukaki and Exarchia. This hugely successful programme is feeding back into the design scene of the city, with some architects and interior designers hawking their Airbnb-ready services while contributing to the proliferation of international Airbnb interior monotony. While for some, the success of the programme reads as good news for Athens’ property market, which has been largely defined by stasis and abandonment since the crisis, for many others it’s a sign of hostility towards the city’s pre-existing residents and refugee and migrant populations. The conflicting priorities of these interest groups have come to a head most visibly in the historical anarchist neighbourhood of Exarchia. Here, a Chinese investor purchased 100 apartments for short-term rental in late 2017, while long-standing self-organized refugee squats have been aggressively evicted in the months since the election of a new right-wing government in July last year.

ATH ENS In contrast with the Greek government’s distressing and doomed attempts to evict and deport the refugee crisis out of existence, some designers are considering more intelligent ways to marry the dual challenges of Athens’ degraded built environment and refugee settlement. Communitism, for example, is a project in Metaxourgeio that aims to restore the listed but crumbling neo-classical buildings of the neighbourhood through cultural commons projects, as well as painting, sanding, construction and cleaning. Initiated by engineer Natassa Dourida, Communitism’s headquarters is a sprawling mansion with a courtyard and huge roof terrace that houses a workshop, exhibition space, music venue and kitchen, and hosts groups such as the Syrian and Greek Youth Forum. Similarly, co-Athens is a pilot programme in development by the Athens city government and its SynAthina platform for civic participation, which will bring together Athenians and refugees with settled status to work with local authorities to create interventions in the city’s public spaces. Still in its early days, the project has the potential to provide a new model to merge Athens’ well-known DIY culture with the kind of top-down planning infrastructure required to make significant neighbourhood alterations.

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How the welcoming of refugees and other new Athenians into this project plays out will also be worth watching, particularly in the context of national and city government administrations with explicit anti-immigration platforms. The national government’s most recent engagement with the design world was in early 2020, when it announced a call for proposals for a prototype barrier in the Mediterranean. This, a floating equivalent of Trump’s wall, will serve more as a political symbol than an actual deterrent. What is needed instead, particularly in Athens, is a more urgent approach to providing adequate housing for those new arrivals who do make it to the city. Architects from Athens as well as the wider European Union must recognize this situation as a crisis of housing and of spatial justice and take a more active role, rather than simply providing marketable interiors for Golden Visa holders.

•

George Kafka is a London-born, Athens-based architecture writer, editor and curator. He is a regular contributor to publications including Metropolis, The Architectural Review and Frieze, and is a founding member of the &beyond editorial collective.

Federico Monsalve finds signs that New Zealand spatial design is starting to understand the depth of its Māori and European bicultural roots.

AU CK LA ND 16

Mount John Observatory is a medium-sized astronomical research centre in a dark-sky preserve on New Zealand’s South Island. It is perched on a 1,030-m-high mount that overlooks the vast valley of Lake Tekapo, with a picturesque stone church at its edge and the perfectly chiselled backdrop of serrated, regularly snow-peaked alps. Inside the observatory, a starry film is often projected not onto a planetarium dome or a white wall-hung screen, but onto the floor of one of its rooms. According to its interior and brand designers, Thoughtfull Design, the surface choice originates from the fact that stargazers and astronomers from local pre-European Māori tribes used to observe the celestial bodies in a similar manner: instead of looking directly at the sky, they would study the reflections visible in the jade-tinted glacial waters of the nearby lake. This small nod to local history is just one of several spatial solutions used in Mount John Observatory that take into consideration Māori astronomy traditions and the buildings in which they were practised and taught. The observatory is among dozens of new or recently renovated spaces that seek to acknowledge New Zealand’s rich indigenous traditions through design and architecture. As New Zealand is experiencing a record-breaking private and publicly funded construction boom, this trend has the potential to redefine the country’s public persona. Much like what artists and writers in the 1930s sought to do for local culture, present-day architects and designers seem to be confidently expressing a three-dimensional idea of national identity that is truly contextual. One of the most significant projects in this vein is Auckland’s City Rail Link by local architecture firm Jasmax. The largest infrastructure project currently under development in the country, it won the 2019 World Architecture Festival WAFX Prize for Cultural Identity. The Rail Link began as an exercise in cross-

cultural consultation, which led to each of the rail stations exploring – through materiality, art, circulation and metaphor – Māori creation narratives and celebrating indigenous deities. Much like similar-sized studios, Jasmax has made significant investments to infuse its whole practice with Māori values in order to create the right mechanisms to consult with local tribes ahead of design stages and to follow principles that recognize the bicultural history of New Zealand. The bicultural ethos in design is not entirely new, but its widespread appeal seems to have renewed momentum. For over five decades there have been Māori designers working with traditional perspectives within a non-traditional European industry. Rewi Thompson, John Scott, Rau Hoskins and Deidre Brown are some of the most celebrated design and architecture academics and practitioners to fuel this seeming renaissance of indigenous-inspired public structures. In addition, a recent and concerted move by mainstream media, the Ministry of Education and hundreds of organizations to embrace indigenous language and pepper day-to-day operations with their customs and ceremonies has begun to permeate the design industry in ways never before seen in these islands. Another significant catalyst for this shift in the built environment was the mid-2000s Te Aranga Māori Design Principles, a set of outcome-based policies anchored to Māori cultural values that sought to provide practical guidance for enhancing the design environment. Consultation with local tribes was high on the list, as was a respect for the land and the genealogy of places, as depicted by their original language names. This manifesto has been crucial to official design guidelines, both at a regional level (Auckland Design Manual) and a national one (New Zealand Urban Design Protocol), and has been praised for its thoroughness as much as for the practicality of its advice to anyone seeking to build projects in and of this place.

Reporting From

It helps as well that many of those principles – mainly sustainability, community building and respect – speak clearly to the millennial zeitgeist. Biculturalism as a cosmetic afterthought is, quite rightfully, coming to an end. Disappearing are the days of commissioning a Māori artist towards the end of a complex build, or simply emblazoning a ‘tribal’ pattern onto textiles or wayfinding. Echoing the sentiment of Taika Waititi, the first-ever film director of Māori descent to win an Oscar, during an acceptance speech: ‘I dedicate this to all the indigenous kids in the world who want to do art and dance and write stories. We are the original storytellers and we can make it here as well.’ One can only suspect that designing public spaces – the stage sets of daily life – might just make their journey slightly easier.

•

Monsalve (Colombia/New Zealand) is a senior editor of design and architecture magazines in Auckland, including Urbis and Interior. He is a long-serving convenor and judge of New Zealand’s Interior Awards and a judge at the World Architecture Festival. His writing, films and broadcasts have appeared in Monocle (UK), ArtNews (New York), Los Angeles Magazine, Televisa (Mexico), The New Zealand Herald and Radio New Zealand, among others.

business of design 024 Towards the suburbanization of co-working spaces 026 Making mass timber aspirational 029 Sustainable shows and zero-waste sets 032 Breaking the rules of supermarket design

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How e-commerce returns are reshaping the physical store

Riikka Kantinkoski

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On UPS’s calendar, 2 January is a key day. It’s the day on which consumers make the most returns to e-tailers after the holidays. And to give some insight into just how significant a burden those returns are placing on brands – both those who sell the products and those who manage the infrastructure involved in getting them to your home and back – 2020’s ‘returns day’ was forecast to see a 26 per cent year-on-year increase in packages. The key to the rise of e-commerce is increased convenience in almost every aspect

of the purchasing process. The challenge lies in the crucial final step: delivery. This so called ‘last mile’ problem, where goods travel from the distribution centre to individual addresses, is the point at which all logistical efficiencies break down. But if receiving packages is a pain, sending them back is often worse. The ability to offer not only a free, but also a seamless returns process is becoming a major factor for consumers in their choice of which brand to shop. This is especially true for fashion retailers, for whom sizing issues mean they’re by far the

Business of Design

biggest contributors to the return package pile. ‘As e-commerce retailers continue to provide more return-friendly policies, shoppers are buying and returning more online than ever before,’ explains Andrew Lipsman, a principal analyst for eMarketer. ‘Although returns can eat into retailers’ bottom lines, it’s important they treat the process as a way to build brand and customer loyalty by delivering a great end-to-end shopping experience.’ What does this mean for spatial design? Recent research

Helsinki-based studio Fyra worked with business consultancy Motley to design a contemporary parcel pick-up shop for Finnish postal and logistics company Posti. The resulting space, called Posti Box, features fitting rooms and hospitality elements alongside lockers, unboxing stations and recycling points.

by Navar shows that a significant number of consumers prefer to return in-store (35 per cent) over other options. Closer to half are willing to do so because of the environmental benefits. Brands are already taking notice. This year will see fastfashion retailer H&M invest in making its current footprint more useful to a consumer base that increasingly shops online. The strategy? Transform H&M stores

into an effective touchpoint for customers who nonetheless prefer to browse and buy digitally. ‘We think the role of the stores will change,’ CEO Karl-Johan Persson told the Financial Times. ‘How can we use those stores even better as logistical hubs for deliveries, for pick-ups, for returns?’ H&M currently allows online orders to be collected instore in only 14 countries, while online returns can be made in-

store in 16 countries, something that will expand drastically under the new directive. The move might also help H&M facilitate an expansion into the fashion rental space, something it started localized experiments with last autumn. Those wondering how such facilities might materialize should look to Target’s newest stores, which feature a dedicated entranceway for online pickups

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and drop-offs. Or standalone concepts like Helsinki’s Posti Box, which combines fitting rooms and hospitality elements alongside lockers, unboxing stations and recycling points. These projects show precisely how the need for more efficient interfaces between customers and e-commerce brands is driving the development of new physical typologies. PM

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Why the future of co-working is suburban

Co-working venues have a potential to sit in closed retail locations — US operator Industrious, for example, has purchased space at the site of a former Barney’s inside Arizona's Scottsdale Fashion Square mall.

Thus far the co-working industry has largely been focused on large-format office developments in major cities. London and New York alone account for 22 per cent of the global co-working stock by square footage according to research by Cushman & Wakefield. But, as the company also points out, despite the attention it receives, this kind of flexible workspace still currently makes up only 1 per cent of global office stock. How and where it will grow (and all indicators are that it will) is the next question. A new report by Regus argues that the answer should be suburbia. With major employers – those most likely to have HQs based in tier-one cities – increasingly adopting flexible working practises, the creation of satellite co-working spaces to serve this new OOO workforce could have a transformative effect not only on employee wellbeing, but also on the environment. These benefits are directly linked to removing the need to commute long distances. Regus calculates that a local flexible workplace could, on average, save employees based there a collective 7,416 hours each year by reducing travel times. This equates to more time to sleep, or see their children. The knock on reduction in carbon emissions is equally significant, eliminating 118 metric tonnes of CO2 every year. In aggregate, the rise of suburban co-working spaces could mean 2,560,000 metric tonnes of CO2 will be saved globally – equivalent to the emissions of 1,280 flights between London and New York. This makes a lot sense for brands operating in today’s ‘purpose’ economy, where being seen to make the health of both your staff and the planet a central concern is a major differentiating factor for consumers. With the

Business of Design

rise of activist shareholders and ethical investing, it also impacts governance and access to capital. Where these facilities will be located and who will operate them is unclear, but it’s safe to bet that a high proportion will sit in ex-retail contexts. US coworking operator Industrious has been buying up space in locations such as the Short Hill mall in New Jersey, Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek, California, and the site of a former Barney’s inside the Scottsdale Fashion Square mall in Arizona over the last couple of years. In some cases retailers themselves may turn provider. Office supplies company Staples has hosted third-party co-working brands at some of its stores since 2016, and will be launching an in-house brand called Staples Connect at six stores across Massachusetts this spring. The suburbanization of co-working spaces was something that was also touched upon at Frame Awards 2020, where a workshop dedicated to the future of the flexible workplace raised questions about whether employers should continue to operate centralized offices. Participants suggested that a better alternative would be to repurpose existing spaces closer to where staff already live. One certainty is that this shift will redraw how we think about the look, feel and programme of co-working developments. Design-led, high-amenity locations that cover a large singleuse footprint, as championed by the likes of WeWork and Spaces, will likely not survive outside of urban cores. Mixed-use, smallerscale units in repurposed retail outlets will have less sheen, but may ultimately offer users more attractive benefits. PM

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Is the construction industry set to embrace mass timber?

3 Sidewalk Labs recently revealed a digital prototype for a 35-storey timber high-rise for Toronto that, if built, would be the tallest masstimber tower in the world.

The French government is poised to pass a law that stipulates that new public buildings will have to be built from 50 per cent biobased materials from 2022. It’s a timely shot in the arm for evangelists of mass timber construction (otherwise known as cross-laminated timber or CLT). Many have been frustrated by the slow uptake of such materials, despite their ability to significantly reduce the environmental impact of the construction industry, producer of upwards of 40 per cent of global carbon emissions according to some estimates. Timber construction does double duty in the battle against global heating, not only replacing carbon-intensive materials like steel and concrete, but also acting as a carbon sink. The newly proposed legislation builds on commitments already in place for the development of Paris’s 2024 Olympic complex, which state that any building under eight storeys will primarily be constructed using

timber. ‘There is no reason that what is possible for the Olympics should not also be possible for ordinary buildings,’ argued Julien Denormandie, the French Minister for Towns and Housing. Advocates for mass timber cite not only its substantial green benefits, but also increased speed in construction, a reduction in dust and noise pollution, and better thermal performance. Add in the potentially huge cost savings over current alternatives once a robust mass-timber ecosystem is established and customer demand for biophilic spaces that incorporate more natural materials, and it would seem obvious for developers to champion wood. So why hasn’t the material already been adopted more widely? Experts caution that, without proper management of the complex systems required to grow, log, transport and process trees for CLT, any environmental benefit will likely be wiped out. There are also concerns that an

increase in monocultural forests planted to supply the industry could create ecological deserts. Other factors are more insidious, particularly in the US, where archaic fire regulations prevent the creation of wooden structures over six storeys and negative lobbying by national concrete and steel bodies – most recently against proposed government grants for wood construction – have hindered progress. It’s hoped that initiatives like that proposed by the French government will help remove such barriers to the global growth of the industry through increased investment in R&D and strengthening of supply chains. In addition, some of the most advanced forthcoming urban development projects will all use mass timber at a scale not yet witnessed. Sidewalk Lab’s redevelopment of the Toronto waterfront, Henning Larsen’s proposal for the new neighbourhood of Fælledby in Copenhagen and BIG’s design for Toyota’s Woven City near

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Tokyo could set a precedent for more liveable forms of urbanism based on wooden infrastructure. With Navigant Research estimating that 2 billion square metres of new building stock will be required every year between 2019 and 2025 if these developments make mass timber aspirational, it could prove central to achieving climate targets. Despite the first US CLT plant opening in only 2015, even this most hesitant of markets will likely find it hard to continue to ignore the benefit of building with wood. Proposed changes to building codes could soon see maximum structures heights extended to 18 storeys. Speaking to Autodesk recently, Andrew Tsay Jacobs, director of the Building Technology Lab at Perkins+Will in Los Angeles, predicts that: ‘Within five years, or a little less, the question “should this be a mass-timber project?” will be confronting most commercial projects.’ PM

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How the circular economy is disrupting show design Perhaps the greatest revelation to come out of February’s fashion season was not a standout collection or show, but one of the architects of some of the most successful displays at fashion weeks across the last decade calling time on such events. Parisbased Bureau Betak believes that, for fashion brands to follow through on stated sustainability aims, they’re going to have to address the mountain of waste generated by runway shows, a dangerous combination of material excess and limited lifespan. Eventually, founder Alexandre de Betak would like to

see shows that are much smaller and not tied into a set global calendar of weeks, and that make much greater use of digital technology for their effect. In the meantime, the company has signed up for ISO 20121 certification, a voluntary standard for sustainable event management. By 2021 it hopes to have achieved B Corp certification, which mandates even higher standards of social and environmental stewardship from holders. A key component of Bureau Betak’s future strategy is ensuring that all installations can be reused, or at least recycled.

Note Design Studio’s concept for Tarkett features a set of blocks clad in the company’s iQ vinyl flooring range secured with ratchet straps. Elements of the system will either be reused at other events or recycled.

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Courtesy of Bureau Betak

Bureau Betak’s design for Kenzo’s 2020 Paris Fashion Week show – a series of inflated plastic tubes – will become a common armature for the brand’s shows and events going forward.

In fact this is something the company has been trialling for several years. The agency often upcycled Dior’s benches from season to season, while its repeated use of strip lighting for Rodarte has become a visual trope for the label. Its more recent design for Kenzo’s 2020 Paris Fashion Week show – a series of inflated plastic tubes – will become a common armature for the brand’s shows and events going forward. De Betak thinks the greatest resistance could initially come from contractors. ‘Normally when you build a set, for time and money efficiency, you have to be as fast as you can,’ he said in an interview with Business of

Fashion. ‘So you have to convince vendors to change completely the way they build, so they build so it can be dismantled.’ This emphasis on reusability was evident across industries at the start of 2020. Note Design Studio created two stands for the Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair, one for furniture brand Vestre and another for flooring manufacturer Tarkett, which both centred on the principle that the majority of the fixtures could be dismantled and stored for future events. The latter raised interesting questions about whether such tactics are always the most effective, however, with analysis showing that the heavier supporting elements would

produce less environmental burden if simply recycled rather than transported. The fair also featured a modular stand by French architects Julien Renault and Paul Vaugoyeau for furniture maker Massproductions that will now travel to the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York as well as the brand’s retail showrooms. The design is based on a series of 120-cm2 plaster tiles, a size chosen because it worked with the company’s existing transport crates. The gridded layout also makes the stand easy to adapt to the scale of a variety of venues. The question for brands and designers now is how to

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still make a visual impact while not making an environmental one. Collections and agendas change, and statement shows are still an important conduit for consumer attention. A commitment to reuse makes that harder, but not impossible; more often than not, constraint is an ally to creativity. PM

Photo Andrea Ferrari

EDEN DESIGN RODOLFO DORDONI RODAONLINE.COM IG: RODA.OFFICIAL

Courtesy of Amazon Go

Is the automated-retail revolution finally going to catch fire?

By bringing ‘just walk out’ shopping to the grocery sector, Amazon could rip up the long established rules of supermarket design.

When Amazon opened its first Amazon Go store to the public in early 2018, analysts predicted it could soon upend Fast Moving Consumer Goods retail. Visitors were equally delighted with their first experience of what the company dubs ‘just walk out’ shopping. For those unfamiliar with what that means in practice: after customers are scanned at the entrance, they’re free to pick up any item and simply leave the store. A series of cameras and weight sensors automatically tracks what they’ve purchased and charge it directly to their account. Two years on, however, why are only 24 further stores in operation? Some have speculated that the stores are too costly, the technology too complicated or appropriate locations too hard to find. In fact, it may have been that the format just wasn’t Amazon’s ultimate target. Amazon Go’s USP is convenience, but it was updat-

ing a (convenience) store format that already majored on speed; this offered an excellent testbed but only incremental returns in customer efficiency. In what context do consumers face a far more inefficient shopping experience? The supermarket. And that’s what Amazon has just launched. Based in the ecommerce giant’s home city of Seattle, the new store boasts a full range of products you’d expect to find at competitors such as Walmart or Kroger’s, minus the deli counters and in-house bakeries. Perhaps the biggest difference in product range over its convenience stores is the inclusion of fresh produce. Many consumers prefer to buy fruit, vegetables, fish and meat in-store rather than online, so physical retail is a key conduit for Amazon to access that market. One of the behavioural hurdles that Amazon overcame in creating the store was enabling its

system to understand how shoppers pick up and inspect several apples, say, before selecting which to buy. At 966 m2 the supermarket is also about four times the size of the average Go outpost. Historically, increasing the number of shoppers has been a major technical hurdle for Amazon’s tracking technology, but that now appears to have been resolved. Of the store’s future potential, vice president of Amazon Go Dilip Kumar commented: ‘We’ve learned a lot. There’s no real upper bound [to the scale]. It could be five times as big. It could be 10 times as big.’ Having greatly expanded the inventory and square footage that its Go technology can manage, Amazon is now well placed to disrupt grocery retail in a big way. Whether this will be through its own locations or licensing the technology, the milestone could

Business of Design

mean a subtle, but nonetheless radical change in the way supermarkets are designed. Few commercial typologies have as many engrained spatial tactics as the supermarket. But without checkouts, how will impulse purchases be foregrounded at the right moment? With no need to funnel shoppers towards a set exit, will it be possible to prescribe circulation strategies? And, with millions of data points about current purchase trends generated every second, how can the display infrastructure become adaptive enough in terms of inventory and merchandising to take advantage? Understanding how to design stores that take full advantage of this more fluid way of shopping is the next great challenge. PM

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WHATEVER THE WEATHER As outdoor spaces are increasingly used as year-round living rooms, Flexform responds with a collection that can withstand the harshest of conditions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; yet looks and feels as inviting as luxurious lounge furniture. Words Tracey Ingram

Antonio Citterioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2004 design of the Peter chair was upgraded for the outdoors by replacing the cowhide seat and backrest with polypropylene and selecting high-performance stainless steel for the structure.

Vulcano’s woven upholstery utilizes polypropylene, while the padded cushions are encased in a special breathable and water-repellent lining.

There’s a big difference between elegance and opulence. It’s the former that’s been the driving force behind Flexform’s 60-plus years in the furniture manufacturing business, a tenet the born-in-Italy brand is now carrying through to its foray into outdoor furniture. Flexform officially launched its first outdoor furniture collection during the 2019 Salone del Mobile. The pieces responded to the brand’s observation of shifting attitudes surrounding exterior living. ‘Nowadays, outdoor space – whether large or small, the deck of a yacht, a porch, patio, terrace or balcony – is increasingly becoming an additional room that people love to enjoy in every season,’ says Saul Galimberti, director of Flexform’s R&D department. And it wasn’t hard for the brand to imagine its aesthetic taking on a new life outdoors: ‘Our style already has a very natural attitude,’ says Galimberti. ‘It’s all about effortless and relaxed elegance.’ What’s more, Flexform’s clients could imagine the transition, too. In the last few years, requests rolled in for the brand to turn some of its indoor products into outdoor versions suitable for seaside resorts and yachts – and Flexform delivered. ‘In a way, we created a collection out of the experience we’d been building up through many bespoke projects.’

A product that makes the indoor-outdoor transition seamlessly is the Peter chair, a design by Antonio Citterio with a matching ottoman that was originally launched in 2004. Galimberti names it as one of Flexform’s indoor products that ‘possessed an outdoor allure’. That’s thanks in part to its woven cowhide seat and backrest. ‘It came naturally to us to conceive an outdoor version where the woven parts are made from polypropylene fibre instead of saddle. Basically, nothing has changed as far as the design goes, but we had to concentrate on selecting materials that would withstand any weather conditions.’ The structure was also revisited and made in a high-performance alloy – AISI 316 stainless steel, mainly used in yachting design – that resists any type of corrosion. Other products in the outdoor collection include the Vulcano sofa, also by Antonio Citterio, and the Phuket ottoman by Flexform’s in-house design team. AISI 316 stainless steel makes a reappearance in the former alongside a base of marine plywood. As with the Peter chair, Vulcano’s woven upholstery – a recurring pattern in Flexform’s repertoire – utilizes polypropylene, while the padded cushions are encased in a special lining that’s breathable and water repellent. The

Flexform x Frame

materials were chosen not only to optimize performance, but also to ensure the products live up to the harsher realities of life outdoors: exposure to rain, sun, chlorine and saltwater. ‘In my opinion, manufacturers and designers should create outdoor environments with the same care and commitment they give to living rooms,’ says Galimberti. ‘This is precisely the approach we took in designing our outdoor collection. We see a living room – and also a terrace or patio – as an ecosystem in which sofas, armchairs, daybeds, occasional tables, ottomans and accessories create a meaningful dialogue among themselves. And while providing an inviting setting, they offer unparalleled comfort. This comes very easy to Flexform as it’s been our approach to interior design from the beginning.’ flexform.it

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in practice 038 Eduard Eremchuk on infusing interiors with unexpectedness 050 Margrethe Odgaard on the relationship between colour and cultural identity 058 Uwe BrĂźckner on creating a niche, not filling one 067 Ace Hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chief brand officer on commissioning Kengo Kuma

In Practice

Russian architect Eduard Eremchuk discusses the notion of re-experiencing oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hometown, what shifts in fashion mean for the furniture market and how his interiors enable visitors to momentarily exit reality. Words Floor Kuitert Photos Inna Kablukova

Introducing

A fast-food café filled with Tetris-inspired furniture and screens playing glitch-filtered videos, a flower shop that looks like a galactic gallery, changing rooms totally carpeted in pink faux fur: all can be found in Rostov-on-Don, a riverside city in southern Russia. Courtesy of native architect Eduard Eremchuk, the experimental interiors are inspired by a range of cultural influences, from Stanley Kubrick’s science fiction movies to contemporary streetwear. Born in 1994 and currently based in Moscow, Eremchuk is part of a new wave of architect-designers who seek to challenge normalized perceptions of what retail and hospitality in Russia – and beyond – are ‘supposed’ to look like.

How would you describe Russian design? And how do you think a new generation of designers, including yourself, is redefining it? EDUARD EREMCHUK: Russian style is often associated with tastelessness, but it’s not. There is so much more to it than is known to the general public. Everyone remembers and respects constructivism, but it’s time to put forward other aspects of Russia’s rich craftsmanship and architecture history. We shouldn’t shy away from celebrating our cultural heritage: it may not seem that special or important to us, but we have to realize it can be very interesting to outsiders, especially when presented in unison with modern design elements. I’m working on a project, for example, that reinterprets a material commonly used in church domes – stainless steel coated with titanium nitride – in an original way. The 1990s were a difficult period for Russia. In post-Soviet times there wasn’t much experimentation – people were scared

to be different and it was almost impossible to do something unique. But this is changing as obstacles are disappearing. A new generation is bringing fresh ideas forward, and building an environment relevant to the present day. When we first published your project Like Shop showroom back in 2018, we talked with you about how re-experiencing one’s hometown has become a necessary exercise in Russia. Can you explain why? Most people know only two cities in Russia: Moscow and Saint Petersburg. But the country is big and the majority of the people live in smaller cities and villages. Younger generations tend to leave their hometowns and move to the big city where there are more opportunities. But not everyone has the means to do so. In my hometown Rostov-onDon, a city long known for industry and trade, that’s causing design-focused entrepreneurs

In Practice

– including myself – to take ownership of their environment and reality. By doing so, we resourcefully engage the local community and put our city on the cultural map. We don’t have big museums and theatres, so with our work we try to add value to the city, attract people from abroad and across the country, and show that you can create what you want no matter where you are. You started your own studio when you were quite young. Why did you decide to go solo instead of gaining experience at an established practice first? It happened somewhat accidentally. My first clients were my friends – I was still in university and working on my graduation project when they asked me to design the Like Shop showroom and Guapa flower store. I said yes, and then we realized both projects with simple means and on a low budget – so low that I was single-handedly painting the walls. These first projects felt like my babies. When they

Eremchuk’s first project in Russia outside of Rostov-on-Don, Sfera is a modular space where make-up artists, hairdressers and manicure specialists can rent a workstation by the hour. Thanks to the use of curtains, the interior – which includes custom-designed furniture – can easily be transformed to host events.

Introducing

In Practice

For florist Guapa, Eremchukâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intent was to stray as far away as possible from the warmth and cosiness of most flower shops. Instead, the store resembles an art gallery.

‘Carving out moments of unexpectedness is one of my key design principles. I strive to make people feel a little bit foreign’

started to attract attention from the international press I realized it had all been worth it. The interiors were really something new in Rostov-on-Don and I started to get clients, which continued after graduation. But at some point I came to the conclusion I wanted a new experience – most importantly, an international experience. So I moved to New York City to intern at Bureau Betak. Why Bureau Betak? I approached Bureau Betak because it is specialized in set design, meaning that the projects are mostly short-term and quick. Over a period of six months I got the opportunity to work on a lot of different projects for clients including Michael Kors, Tiffany & Co. and John Elliot. I made many connections and got to see first-hand how big brands work and communicate on a global level. What did you take away from your time there? It helped me think about projects like scenarios, and taught me the importance of storytelling. Before, I was much more focused on details. I soon realized, though, that I want to do more than just create beautiful and functional things. Another important lesson I learned was about the role of lighting – specifically, how I can use light to evoke emotions and create a mood. These are now key elements in my design process.

Your projects show a strong sensibility of colour. How do you select colours and what is their role? Colours bring along their own vibes and associations. I like to play with that. Sometimes I pick shades purely to maintain a brand’s identity in the spatial design, other times they are inspired by the city. The furniture in the And Y café is inspired by Berlin’s subway, the pink in the Guapa flower store by the Anthurium plant, the floor of IYOUTH – a concept store in Shanghai – by old pictures of a tennis court. Colours are just as important as materials and textures: I use them to emphasize aspects of my designs. You can do that with geometry, too – it’s just another trick. What other tools and considerations drive your designs? One of the most important factors is how people behave in a space, how they move and what they see. Designing a space is about organizing people, creating a series of zones for different purposes and lengths of stay. Carving out moments of unexpectedness is one of my key design principles. I strive to make people feel a little bit foreign. When they enter my spaces, I hope they will not immediately be able to associate the interior with something familiar – I want to make them feel as if they left reality for a while. It’s increasingly important in today’s digitally

In Practice

led world to create enticing physical spaces: visiting a good store, for example, should be like visiting a good gallery, where you discover something new each time. IYOUTH is your first project in Asia. How was the process? The best things about working in China are the availability of materials and the possibilities for getting things done. In my opinion, Chinese people are very hardworking and really fast. It’s crazy – we built for three months straight! How would you define the typology of the project? It’s quite versatile. Yes, our client had an interesting vision. He believes young generations are transforming the furniture market with their attitude towards life and he wanted the store to reflect this. Currently, the fashion industry and popular culture drive lifestyle trends and economic growth in China, which has enabled people to express themselves through fashion even more. The furniture market is influenced by these developments. IYOUTH’s founder noticed how, in the past few years, top fashion brands have started to collaborate with furniture brands. As a result, brands now increasingly offer complete lifestyles – fashion, art, music, furniture – that clients can buy into. So the store and its displays became a

Based in Eremchukâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hometown, the 46-m2 Like Shop is split into a bright yellow reception area and a showroom with a pink faux-fur fitting room.

Inside And Y, a conceptual fast-food cafĂŠ in Rostov-on-Don, is a grid of LED screens playing glitch-filtered, meditative videos depicting urban environments and lifestyles, and nature.

The bathroom at And Y is surfaced in a surprising, high-contrast cow pattern.

fusion of these elements – visitors encounter a variety of lifestyle settings. One, for example, combines a Hajime Sorayama-designed Dior Saddle bag, a sculpture of Billie Eilish and a Tecta drawer unit from the Bauhaus period. The store also exemplifies how retail can take its cue from other typologies such as hospitality venues and institutional spaces. You’re right. Downstairs, there’s an in-store café and cashbox. A huge screen inspired by the stock exchange broadcasts brand campaigns and informs clients about upcom-

In Practice

ing exhibitions and events. The second floor houses a VIP area that we designed like a typical old-school office space, with a modern twist. On that same floor there is a furniture exhibition space designed like a huge living room, with a dining table by Glas Italia and pieces from brands like Gubi, New Tendency, CC–Tapis and Tecta. And there is a wild, ‘Instagrammable’ bathroom that’s covered in stainless steel and features a ‘sky lightbox’. Entering feels like taking the elevator to a futuristic destination. I’m really proud of the project – it’s a sum of my previous experiences and design aesthetic. eduarderemchuk.com

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Danish colour and textile designer Margrethe Odgaard, a self-proclaimed â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;colour hunterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, talks about cultural identity; the intricacies of hues, tints and shades; and the colour of her ultimate white whale. Words Polina Bachlakova Portrait Brian Buchard

Influencer

Brian Buchard

To achieve her innovative melange method for the 2019 Atlas collection of upholstery textiles for Kvadrat, Odgaard used two different yarns â&#x20AC;&#x201C; each of which combines two colours â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in the warp and weft.

When Copenhagen-based colour and textile designer Margrethe Odgaard heads to her studio for a day of work, she makes sure to wear a white frock and neutral colours. She’s learned the hard way that donning anything brighter is too risky – her relationship to colour is so sensitive that if she were to wear a blue sweater or red blouse, she’d all of a sudden find those colours in the palette she creates throughout the day. But make no mistake: Odgaard’s heightened awareness of colours is precisely what’s helped her cement a position as one of the world’s leaders in her field. The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and RISD graduate counts renowned design companies such as Kvadrat, Montana and Muuto among her clients. She’s exhibited at the Design Museum in Helsinki, Munkeruphus in Denmark and the Röhsska Museum in Gothenburg, just to name a few, and in 2019 she was named Denmark’s Designer of the Year. Shades of Light, a book created in collaboration with A. Petersen, features 276 curated colours that represent the subtle nuances of Nordic light.

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‘I learned that colour and cultural identity can’t easily be transferred. It’s like it’s in your DNA’

What does it mean to be a colour designer? MARGRETHE ODGAARD: My work is about nourishing the senses. To me, it isn’t really a question of colours themselves, but of light. I’m concerned with how light meets a surface and is absorbed and reflected, and then reaches the eye as colour and energy. I use textiles and materials to work with colour as the physical manifestation of light on a surface. I feel that the idea of textiles and environments physically nourishing people is a particularly Danish sentiment. It reflects the sensitivity we have here for how design and objects make us feel – the hygge element. To what extent is your care for colours and textiles shaped by your Scandinavian background? My background has played an important role in cementing my design approach. I’ve lived in New York, Philadelphia, India and Paris, absorbing the way these different cultures perceive colour. Through those experiences, I came to acknowledge that we have a rather unique approach to colour in Denmark. We don’t just talk colour; we talk nuance. After all, we have so much indirect light here that part of our DNA is to consider light and shadow and the shift between them. We talk about gradients, and are much more trained in tints and shades than we are in hues. On the other hand, Mexican architect Luis Barragán uses

bold brights – pink, turquoise, colours with high intensity. As much as we in our region admire those colours in his architecture, we aren’t able to look at them with the same sense of quality as we can at our tints and shades. I read that you kept a colour diary while you were studying colour theory at RISD. What was the idea behind it? I jotted down colour notes every day to train my colour muscle, so to speak. The first rule was that I couldn’t paint nature. I focused on colours in architecture and design because they result from human choices. The second rule was to collect colour combinations of three colours, which had to be in the same frame of vision; I couldn’t collect one colour from here and another from there. The third rule: I could only paint colours on site. So, I’d have the whole kit with me and make colour notations, which I would often later remake more neatly in my studio. I was trying to understand the relationship between colour and cultural identity, and learned that it can’t easily be transferred. It’s like it’s in your DNA. We have different approaches to what’s beautiful and which colour combinations have energy or not. When I get colour briefs from companies, they come from different cultures and represent different target audiences. The whole concept of trying to understand a cultural colour identity has been part of my wish to be able to create the best colours for any given culture and context.

In Practice

What else did you discover about the relationship between colour and cultural identity? Once again, it’s about light – and even about the weather. Let’s take Iceland as an example. There, many days are grey, rainy and windy, thus the colour scheme is mostly very muted. And then, suddenly, you’ll turn a corner in Reykjavik and see a house painted magenta or cyan or lime or mint. It’s colour craziness in the middle of a subdued environment. Eventually, I realized that the colour scheme reflects the mentality of volcanoes. Icelandic people know that at any given moment, the weather could turn crazy. Their nature is unreliable, so the colour scheme is unreliable, too. What’s key to the colour design process? Intention. The crazy thing about working with colours is that there are so many options. I usually say there are as many shades of colours as there are waves in the ocean. There isn’t really such a thing as a fixed colour: each colour changes with the light, just like waves transform. It’s in constant movement. Because of that, I feel like I’m a colour hunter. One second the magic of a colour is there, and the next it’s gone. But I’ve started to learn that the more precise I am in what I’m looking for, the higher the chances that I will actually find it. For example, I recently had to design a yellow colour for a client. I knew I didn’t want a chrome yellow, but that was

Yellows studio

Rooted in the mind-body connection, Odgaardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s palette of 30 lacquer colours for Montana relates to sensory perception and tactility.

David Stjernholm

basically it – I didn’t have a vision. I was struggling until one day, I discussed it with my assistant. She helped express that I was looking for the kind of yellow you’d get if the sun had poured through a window and embraced a shelving system – so much so that by the time it went away, the shelving had managed to capture the sun’s rays. I came up with the phrase ‘sun-kissed yellow’, and suddenly my mind was filled with an image and I was able to find the colour. You must have a vision and search with direction to be able to create a colour that has the energy you want. That’s the main lesson I learned over my 20 years of designing colour. And what’s really interesting is that I can’t deceive people. If I showed you the sun-kissed yellow and another one, beautiful but without a vision, you would choose the sun-kissed. Would you say your fascination with colour comes more from a place of emotion or of curiosity? Equal parts, I think, because the first answer would be that my fascination comes from the fact that I am sensitive to colours. I feel such

deep satisfaction when I look at a beautiful colour. In a place like Morocco, I feel nourished: it’s the best word I can find for how my system perceives colour. This reaction makes me curious, and curiosity is a big part of my practice. So many of my projects derive from me trying to understand my reactions to colour and light in order to become a better designer and stimulate the right emotions. You say you’re a colour hunter. Is there a colour you’ve been hunting that you can’t trap? Blood red. Red is like the mother of colour. It’s the colour we are born from. It’s the queen of colour, partially because blood is such a big part of our body. We have a deep feeling of connection to this colour. I can’t create it, no matter how many times I’ve tried over the years. Tangibly, it comes down to one strange reason: it’s usually very beautiful when it’s wet, but when it dries, the beauty is gone. I’m still hunting.

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margretheodgaard.com

In Practice

In 2019 Odgaard showcased her Panorama textile design for Kvadrat with a series of curtain compositions, choosing varied colour combinations to add ‘different sensory energies to the room’.

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Atelier Brückner founder Uwe Brückner stresses the importance of a culture of co-creation and the power of perseverance – traits he’s learned during more than 30 years in the exhibition design business. As told to Alexandra Onderwater Portraits Uwe Ditz

What I’ve Learned

UWE BRÜCKNER: I have three professional titles: I’m a trained carpenter, architect and stage designer. Each role works very differently. Stage designers start from a narrative, while architects create spatial sculptures and carpenters know how to realize projects. As a child of Louis Sullivan’s ‘form follows function’, I approached my earliest work very rationally. Career-wise, that period was what I now reflect back on as my ‘first life’. I worked as an architect for Sampo Widman on experimental housing and with Atelier Knut Lohrer, mainly on museums and exhibitions – which, at that time, I thought of as my last stop – when my flatmate Hans-Martin Scholder urged me to reconsider my career and future. He felt I was made for a more artistic profession and encouraged me to apply to study Stage Design at The Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart. I was rejected at first: too old, too architecturally focused, probably lacking in artistic talent. Nowadays you can switch careers at almost any age, but back then, 31 was considered too old for an architect to explore a new calling. Too ambitious to accept the refusal, I locked myself up in an empty house and created an extensive portfolio. It impressed so much that I was ultimately accepted. My final project on Wagner’s Rheingold embodied the transformation I had gone through during four years of studying under Jürgen Rose. I had mastered entirely new and different perceptions of creativity – notions of upside down and inside out. I was forced to stage content as a spatial narrative instead of focusing on function. And every architectural space became a stage. After that point, all of my concepts followed a dramaturgy borrowed from opera, theatre, literature or music. It was the starting point of what I’d now call my distinguished skill – that is to start thinking from the end. Until that point in time, I was a captive of my own pragmatic architectural thinking. But then I learned to convert 2D content into 3D models and 4D storyboard-like sketches to express the dynamism in my scenographic concepts. Over the last 30 years, I’ve produced more than 10,000 such sketches. Scenography is the design of carefully staged content, objects and audience. Up until the late 1990s, the term scenography was practically unheard of. Today, designers working in the areas of museums, fairs or events are usually called scenographers. And even spatial design is increasingly referred to as scenography.

‘Good storytelling skills and – importantly – showing empathy and patience can take you a long way’ 60

In Practice

I think part of what made us so successful in the beginning – and still now – is the fact that we happened to be the right designers with the right concept at just the right time. People were eager for more narrative, more background stories and a less didactic approach. With our contemporary scenography, we didn’t fill a niche per se, we created one. Another element that set us apart is the ability to write partitions, or partiturae, a way to write and fix a dramatic structure. It’s an instrument to deal with complex or complicated content and sophisticated exhibition arrangements. It allows us to choreograph space, objects and recipients in a triangle of suspense. Our focus is always on the audience. It’s easy to overload visitors, but less so to amaze them. After working two jobs, as a stage designer’s assistant and as an architect for Knut, in 1991 I managed to take the next step and take over a remote studio in Fellbach, a midsize town outside Stuttgart in Germany. It was cheap, and my first independent studio space, but that’s about all the advantages there were. Winters were extremely cold, summers unbearably hot. But despite being tough and full of hard work, the first years of my career were wonderfully cool, enthusiastic, bohemian and wild. What started as a handful of passionate people grouped together in that basic, rough, 60-m2 atelier has grown into a team of over 100 members from 27 countries and 15 different disciplines. In 1997 everything changed when the Expedition Titanic exhibition landed on my desk. It marked a turning point, introducing this new idea of scenography. The concept and dramaturgy were based on the dramatic structure of an Akira Kurosawa movie. It became the blueprint for my design philosophy, which I’ve since then described as ‘form follows content’. The exhibition was a mega success, with about 1.5 million visitors. But imagine: your exhibition design gets rave reviews, so the last thing you’d expect to happen afterwards is to be out of work. Yet that’s exactly what happened to us after the hype of Expedition Titanic. I remember sitting next to the phone, waiting for it to ring. But for months, it didn’t. That was rather frustrating. By coincidence, we were invited to participate in an international competition for the Expo Hanover 2000. To everyone’s surprise, we won, thanks to our revolutionary and original Cyclebowl concept and our unorthodox

‘I learned to convert 2D content into 3D models and 4D storyboard-like sketches to express the dynamism in my scenographic concepts. Over the last 30 years, I’ve produced more than 10,000 such sketches,’ says Uwe Brückner.

PROF. UWE BRÜCKNER 1957 Born in Hersbruck, Germany 1977-1984 Studies architecture at TU München 1988 Founds Atelier Uwe R. Brückner in Fellbach, a town outside Stuttgart, Germany 1989-1993 Studies stage design at the Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart under set and costume designer-cum-opera director Jürgen Rose 1997 Designs the Expedition Titanic exhibition, which welcomed over 1.5 million visitors 1997 Officially launches Atelier Brückner in Stuttgart 2000 Wins an international competition for the Expo Hanover 2000 2001 Cofounds the Institute 62

In Practice

Instead of moving the studio to Germany’s capital Berlin, Brückner decided to stay in Stuttgart where real estate was cheaper, rentals lower, and the vineyards and Black Forest closer.

of Interior Design and Scenography at the Academy of Art and Design FHNW in Basel 2006 Cofounds and codirects the first addition of the International Scenographers’ Festival IN3 in Basel, followed by shows in 2008, 2010 and 2011 and 2012 in Stuttgart/Ludwigsburg 2009 Starts international lectureships, among others as guest professor at the Tongji University in Shanghai 2011 Publishes Scenography: Making Spaces Talk with Avedition 2018 Serves as jury member in the Shows category of the Frame Awards 2018 Publishes Scenography: Staging the Space with Birkhäuser What I’ve Learned

‘With our contemporary scenography, we didn’t fill a niche per se; we created one’

presentation. A 9-m-long leporello [concertina book] revealed the storyboard of the pavilion, with a façade and interior that constantly changed. From one moment to the next we had to become a company with a management structure. This is when my wife Shirin left her job at an architecture firm and stepped in, taking over the management of our studio. Without her, ATB wouldn’t be in the same position as it is now. Exhibition design, scenography, pavilions and museums: That’s about our territory. Almost half of all our concepts have been realized, an extremely high success rate when you consider that in architecture it’s usually one in ten. I think one of the key elements that defined the growth of the studio was our flexibility and the absence of hierarchy. We all talked at eye level, and there was a 24/7 flow in terms of both identifying with projects and having the passion to create amazing concepts. We were spontaneous, agile and absolutely uncompromising – only quality counted. I remember a time when Berlin appeared on paper to be a good move for the studio, for all the obvious reasons. It would have placed us in the centre of attention, with more potential international clientele and all the talents for whom the city’s hype was as important as – or more important than – the job. But we decided in the end to stay on the side lines in Stuttgart. Why? Because part of the team didn’t want to move with me. There were definite advantages to Stuttgart: real estate was cheaper, rentals lower, the vineyards and Black Forest closer. Our supposedly second-class venue was compensated by international recognition and success, as well as our studio’s striking familylike and multinational atmosphere. That’s ‘our salmon’. [Points at a hand-drawn depiction of a fish that’s part of the studio’s logo.] This fish has become a metaphor for the studio’s ‘swimming against the current’ image. There’s a funny story to it. After moving from Fellbach to Stuttgart, there was a need for new stationery. And for the first time ever, we needed actual business cards. Then freelance designer Hendrik Fischer told me we should have a logo or icon to supplement the name Atelier Brückner. He was adamant, and wouldn’t let the idea go, so I handed him a postcard from a friend of mine, painter Thomas Deyle. It depicted a salmon alongside these words: The salmon is a wanderer between worlds and lives both in saltwater and freshwater. It can swim several hundred miles against the current. Just three weeks later we received the new stationery featuring a salmon, who’s been swimming against the (main)stream with us ever since.

In Practice

One thing I’ve learned over the years is to incite the client to travel with us. Clients are often afraid that if the project is too radical or unconventional, his or her head might be chopped off. We then try to wow them with an amazingly bold design that represents their intentions or desires. But we also challenge them, giving them the armour to defend the concept in public and politically. The key is to make them become an accomplice or even the originators of the concept. Show them examples, bring up metaphors, tell them the risk is calculable. Truly create a story around the final physical entity. Give them the impression they’re sitting and acting in the same boat [laughs mischievously]. Good storytelling skills and – importantly – showing empathy and patience can take you a long way. To involve clients from the start, I’ve created a specific methodology: the Creative Structure (CS). This consists of five design parameters – content, object, space, recipient and dramaturgy – and is derived from theatre and literature. The CS is practised in a series of workshops with the clients to discover the moment of the idea’s conception. It can be quite challenging for them to explain what they are looking for in such a condensed way. Funnily enough, I’m not the most patient person by nature. Oftentimes I instantly internalize the client’s wishes and needs, and sketch the brief in my mind. If I drop that solution directly, too early on the table, it may become an obstacle. You have to train yourself to find smart solutions to convince a client. They’re not convinced yet? Swap a take-it-or-leave-it attitude for a flexible one and surprise them with alternative solutions, overnight. Change your perspective, putting yourself in the client’s position and treating them as your rope partner while successfully climbing an ambitious, challenging route. And don’t forget: Convincing creativity is not an immediate victory; it is an iteration of trial and error, hopefully done with a smile on your face – even during the toughest moments.

atelier-brueckner.com

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Kriska never plays alone. Her best version is achieved when she joins hundreds of other colored Kriskas that make up a universe of possibilities to explore. Sometimes they behave serenely and elegantly. Other times they generate bursts of colors and shapes. Together they can shape any design solution, materializing emotions and even reproducing images in which each little Kriska becomes a pixel. The only limit is in your imagination. They make it happen.

Credits: Landgasthof Lรถwen, Sulgen, Switzerland. Design by Simone Wagner Innenarchitektin Dipl.-Ing. FH - Firm Erich Keller AG.

Lindsay Byrnes

Ace Hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chief brand officer Kelly Sawdon talks about getting her hands dirty in the early days, surpassing the status quo, and how to make hospitality healthier. As told to Tracey Ingram The Client

Stephen Kent Johnson

KELLY SAWDON: In around 2002 I was working at Neverstop, a branding and marketing agency in Seattle, where Ace was founded in 1999. The same people behind Neverstop – Alex Calderwood, Wade Weigle and Doug Herrick – were behind Ace Hotel, so my first impressions were rooted in seeing the same collaborative energy and passion for hyperlocal culture and global connection distilled from marketing to hospitality. Ace was established as a place for friends to stay that felt authentic, human and energized by the things the cofounders were interested in, like music, design, art and food. It was a place where touring musicians and artists could feel at home, somewhere attuned to their aesthetic philosophies and ethos. The founding team didn’t have backgrounds in hospitality, but based their strategy and vision on the idea that hospitality could be defined by compassion, creative collaboration and acting with empathy, curiosity and conviction. A guiding principle back then was ‘what we do is who we are’, and there was an energy created by taking risks, building the worlds we wanted to live in and forging new paths in industries we didn’t have backgrounds in. This energy still guides us today, allowing us to view each project through a new lens. The cofounders’ strategy in the very beginning was to find people with compelling, original ideas, and provide opportunities to create something special that would resonate with forward-thinking travellers and locals. They brought in original work by emerging artists such as Shepard Fairey and KAWS in the 1990s, and the first guests were from Germany and the UK. The cofounders thought of Ace as a global brand from the very beginning, so even as we’ve grown and evolved, many of these core ideas still operate as the driving force behind our work.

All hands on deck

My first project was Ace Hotel Portland, which opened in 2007, eight years after Ace Hotel Seattle’s launch. At that point, we were a tiny team and it was all hands on deck, each of us wearing many, many hats. Ace Hotel Seattle was an intimate 28-room hotel and Ace Hotel Portland was much more ambitious in both scale and vision. We did everything ourselves for our first hotels, like going to the Brimfield Vintage Antique and Furniture show for Ace Hotel New York with backpacks stuffed with cash, a truck and dolly, running around purchasing anything that caught our eye. On that particular day, it started to rain and there was mud everywhere, adding to the comedy. No one was outfitting hotels like this – it was nuts – but it was truly how we did things then, with a small crew that was more like family than co-workers. Even though there was a steep learning curve during our first projects, it was really exciting to jump in and take risks without a blueprint or template to work from. We were led by intuition and experimentation, and we were able to make decisions that felt human-oriented instead of industryoriented because we were building our own path. Could a hotel lobby act as a public gathering space? Could a

hotel restaurant feel like it belonged to the city? From the outside, we probably looked scrappy, but that combination of energy, conviction, curiosity and teamwork is still embedded in our DNA today. It couldn’t have developed in a different environment.

Designing a community

Being elastic abroad

Working with outsiders

Spatial design is foundational to our hotels. We want our spaces to feel warm, genuine and radically inclusive – a welcoming place for everyone, whether you’re a guest or a neighbour doing a few hours of work in one of our lobbies. Empathy and kindness are two core values we try to uphold through spatial design. How can we create spaces that imbue a sense of compassionate care to others? What decisions can we make that emphasize community, discovery and belonging while respecting our guests’ autonomy and needs? How can we best pursue design that reduces our contributions to climate change? Ace was built as a platform for others to activate and engage with, places that open their doors and let the city in. Activating them in diverse ways – from events and programming, to our restaurant and bar outlets, or to our venues like The Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles – contributes to their success. Opening hotels outside the US widens and deepens our community, which is at the core of our international strategy. We love discovering a new lexicon, meeting new collaborators and building new spaces with designers and artists we’ve long admired. Such projects are opportunities to truly learn about a place. We have to be elastic enough to allow for new ideas to flourish. Like all our projects, we approach our international hotels with a fresh perspective, adjusting when needed and developing design concepts to artfully juxtapose and work in harmony with the existing culture. In Kyoto, for instance, which has such a rich tradition of art and craft, we layered in original works from over 20 artisans, from large-scale installations to custom lighting in the restaurants. We collaborated with talented artists from Japan and the US, building on an East meets West aesthetic philosophy and highlighting the connective tissue between artists and craftspeople from both places. We made a poster for Ace Kyoto with a quote from poet Gwendolyn Brooks: ‘Art Urges Voyages.’ It speaks to the creative pulse that has historically inspired artists like David Bowie, Talking Heads, poet Gary Snyder and filmmaker Akira Kurosawa to visit and fall in love with Kyoto. The level of collaboration we have with outside designers can feel unorthodox in this industry. We deeply trust the people we work with, and we’ll sometimes bring them in to work side-by-side with our creative team on uniforms and branding, while also collaborating closely on interior design elements – even down to the smallest details. We try to find partners whose philosophies are symbiotic

Japan has been on Ace’s wish list since the brand’s inception. After finding a suitable site in Kyoto, the team collaborated with Kengo Kuma. ‘Like Ace,’ says Sawdon, ‘he focuses on natural, locally sourced materials and building spaces that are in conversation with their surrounding environment.’

The Client

Coinciding with its 20th anniversary last year, Ace launched two new brands. One, Maison de la Luz in New Orleans, is designed in collaboration with Studio Shamshiri.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hotels will shift their operations as guests align themselves with brands that are actively pursuing environmentally conscious choicesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 70

In Practice

with our own, and who place equal value on the things we care about, from environmental design to diving deeply into the local tide of the place we’re in. Mostly, we look for people who love cities and people as much as we do and want to build spaces that serve the respective communities in sincere and meaningful ways. Our team at Atelier Ace is built on collaboration – our creative teams work in concert with those in marketing, PR, architecture – and this extends to working with outside agencies and firms, too. In Shoreditch, it was important for us to work with a designer who lived and breathed the local zeitgeist and inherently understood the social culture, history and traditions of the place. Bringing in London-based Universal Design Studio was an intentional decision to give a platform to hyper-local voices with strong, original ideas that connect back to the community. Their offices are two blocks away from the hotel, so they’re deeply embedded in the minutiae of the neighbourhood and its artists and makers. Like all our projects, we worked collaboratively on everything from concept to execution, finding new paths together that we wouldn’t have found in silo. As for Kyoto, bringing in Kengo Kuma was a no-brainer, as he was friends with our cofounder and with Ace, and was there in the beginning when we were looking for sites. His philosophy is also aligned with our own, his ideas are rooted in exploring the relationship between nature, humanity and architecture. Like Ace, he focuses on natural, locally sourced materials and building spaces that are in conversation with their surrounding environment.

technology in inventive ways; and exploring creative, diverse avenues of hospitality through new brands. Last year was the 20th anniversary of Ace, and we launched two new hotel brands, too. Sister City in New York City explores how minimalism, functional design and artful technology can help ground travellers in mindful ways in one of the busiest cities in the world. Maison de la Luz in New Orleans revels in irreverent luxury, providing a resplendent oasis inspired by romance, rebellion and the spirit of classic Southern hospitality. Being able to find new opportunities to redefine hospitality in radically different ways keeps us nimble and open to exuberant possibilities.

acehotel.com

Challenging hospitality norms

We’re never looking to trends, but searching for nuanced ways to creatively push culture forward. Right now, we’re analysing our environmental footprint; incorporating

Making hotels healthier

Now, more than ever, we’re paying attention to how we contribute to climate change. As we move forward, hotels will shift their operations as guests align themselves with brands that share their values and are actively pursuing environmentally conscious choices. We want to learn as much as we can and apply best practices to every element of what we do, and welcome discourse and progress from our partners, architects, designers and guests. We care deeply about these issues, and, because we’re a creative, collaborative team at heart, we look for ways to engage and be active in meaningful ways that have the potential to be aesthetically dynamic and tethered to our communities. From our Earth Month initiatives in April, to outfitting Kyoto with biodegradable toiletries, to repurposing our retired linens for a collection with Everybody.World, we’re finding that the path towards a healthier Earth can be inventive, collaborative and impactful.

•

‘Maison de la Luz in New Orleans revels in irreverent luxury, providing a resplendent oasis inspired by romance, rebellion and the spirit of classic Southern hospitality,’ says Kelly Sawdon.

In Practice

PORCELAIN SURFACES FOR CREATIVE DESIGN Milan

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florim.com

all systems go

To mark the launch of the BMW Concept i4, head of BMW Design Domagoj Dukec and visual artist Clemens Ascher reveal how the automobile brand is adapting to the age of electric cars while keeping its identity and heritage alive. Words Tracey Ingram and Floor Kuitert Photos Clemens Ascher

For his photo series of the BMW Concept i4, Clemens Ascher presented the vehicle in a futuristic setting.

‘Driving with a clean conscience isn’t contradictory to having an emotional and dynamic driving experience,’ says Domagoj Dukec, head of BMW Design. ‘That’s what we are showing with the BMW Concept i4, which brings electrification to the core of our company while safeguarding our iconic brand identity.’ He adds that, while consumers are increasingly worried about the challenges the world is facing concerning sustainability, the car remains one of the strongest luxury products when it comes to individual expression. ‘As an automotive brand best known for its production of sporty and elegant saloon cars, keeping that identity – and the customer desire it incites – is extremely important, especially in the age of electric cars. With the BMW Concept i4, a foretaste of the upcoming pure electric Gran Coupe BMW i4, we really reach the heart of both the company and the consumer.’ A first glance at the brand’s latest concept car provides evidence of just how BMW is managing to merge its history and identity with a zero-emission approach. Often, the most memorable image we have of a car is its front face – like a human face,

BMW x Frame

it expresses an immediately recognizable identity. For BMW, that signature ‘look’ is its ‘twin kidney’ frontage. When creating the BMW Concept i4, the design team wanted to ‘lend a visually powerful face to the electric age at BMW’, giving the car a prominent, closed-off kidney grille that ‘provides a tangible connection between the past and future’ of the brand. Funnily enough, it’s a feature that’s in theory no longer necessary – the grille once helped to cool the combustion engine, which the electric motor has since replaced. But the familiar face of BMW now has a new function: the BMW Concept i4’s grille serves primarily as an ‘intelligence panel’, housing various sensors. According to Dukec, this was the perfect solution: ‘Although it’s true some things are no longer essential from a functional perspective, the iconic aspect is just as – if not more – important. You don’t design just for functionality. No matter whether you are creating a couch or a car, solely adhering to the form-follows-function principle won’t please customers. Just look at other luxury brands such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Hermès. They each have their own signature, and integrating them into products is never

DRIVING THE MESSAGE HOME To mark the launch of the BMW Concept i4, BMW Design collaborated with photographer and visual artist Clemens Ascher on a special photo series. Known for his surreal aesthetic, the Austrian creative presented the vehicle in a futuristic setting. ‘We wanted to express a certain avant-garde-ness, showing that we look ahead. At the same time, the series is very artful and we believe that’s inevitably connected to luxury. And, like the BMW Concept i4, art is meant to evoke emotions.’ Ascher himself was fascinated by the vehicle’s contrast: ‘The car expresses a certain boldness as well as elegance. It’s solid and strong, while light and agile at the same time.

This contrast is also inherent to electric driving – powerful yet silent.’ The fascination for finding a balance between seemingly opposite traits is also reflected in this series for BMW. ‘I tried to create a world around the car that doesn’t interfere with its sporty aesthetic, but builds a calm, inspiring frame around it,’ Ascher explains. ‘I created a mysterious, dreamlike environment with monumental but reduced architectural forms that rise above the sea. I imagine it’s constantly the ‘blue hour’, the time right after twilight, in my world, glowing with strong emotional and expressive colours that seep into the car through its panoramic roof.’

‘I imagine it’s constantly “the blue hour”, the time right after twilight, in my world, glowing with strong emotional and expressive colours that seep into the car through its panoramic roof’ Clemens Ascher, photographer and visual artist

BMW x Frame

a question of pure functionality. Why would a bag need to be covered in brand logos? It’s about making a statement, showing confidence and being proud of your heritage.’ Just as the grille may no longer technically be needed, an electric car makes a lot less noise than those with a traditional combustion engine. But for safety’s sake, sounds are added. Rather than make this a mundane feature, BMW Group Design and inhouse sound designer Renzo Vitale teamed up with world renowned composer Hans Zimmer (The Lion King, Inception, Interstellar). Under the brand name of BMW IconicSounds Electric, the pair aimed to ‘emotionalize BMW’s electric vehicles and make them audible using individual sound worlds’. They also developed the sounds for the door opening and the starting scenario. ‘We have different “sensors” as human beings and, psychologically, sound has a very strong impact on our perception,’ says Dukec. ‘Sound evokes emotions. We have always designed the engine’s sound at BMW, but with electrified cars you suddenly have a silent mode. We see this as an advantage, an opportunity to design a “soundtrack” that is not just related to speed, but corresponds even more with the character of the car. We believe sound can be a big differentiator on the street. Where combustion engines, especially those in sporty cars, can be quite aggressive, we can now turn heads with a more elegant sound experience that tells a story.’ The BMW Concept i4 offers a much larger interior than the car’s proportions suggest. It’s a car designed to be driven, not auto-piloted, which is why every element in

the front of the cabin is aimed at the person behind the steering wheel. A sneak peek of what’s to come in the production versions of the BMW iNEXT, BMW’s upcoming technology flagship, and BMW i4, the combination of the steering wheel and a new curved display offers a fresh take on driver orientation. The presentation surfaces merge into a single unit inclined towards the driver – a move that optimizes the way information is presented and makes the display’s touch operation more intuitive. ‘But luxury is about sharing experiences, too,’ says Dukec. ‘The series car will be a five-seater, and it’s important both passengers and pilot get the same satisfaction from the product, even though they might have a different focus. It’s about inclusivity. Through material use we try to address every rider with the same haptic story. We want to express a bright future through the light interior. Not everyone is ready to make the shift towards electrified driving, but we want to take away that doubt by pairing airiness with richness inside the car. There are a lot of leather-free elements and we also use microfibres. The interior is both premium and sustainable.’ Pared-down design runs through the entire concept, from material choices to control arrangement. When possible, this approach means some elements – air outlets, for instance – are almost invisible. bmw.com

OPPOSITE ‘Ascher’s series is very artful and we believe that’s inevitably connected to luxury,’ says Domagoj Dukec, head of BMW Design.

•

‘We wanted to express a certain avantgarde-ness, showing that we look ahead’ Domagoj Dukec, head of BMW Design 78

BMW x Frame

Flex Corporate by Piergiorgio Cazzaniga

frame awards 2020 Across two days in Amsterdam, our international jury of industry leaders whittled down 190 nominees to 36 Frame Awards winners. Which projects reflect todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs and signal a path for the future? The juries were drawn to authenticity and playfulness in retail, rituals and poetry in hospitality, and diversity and wellbeing in workspaces.

honorary awards sponsor IBA

Lifetime Achievement Award

Masamichi Katayama In the mid-1990s, a fledgling design agency based in Tokyo made waves with small retail boutiques for streetwear. Founded by Masamichi Katayama and Tsutomu Kurokawa, H Design Associates infused the youth culture scene with somewhat obscure – and often futuristic – interiors. Fashion store Nowhere, for example, was windowless, presenting some of its merchandise on a delicatessen-like counter. Another boutique, No Concept But Good Sense, featured giant streetlamps and glass displays on oversize wheels. Quirkiness, however, was not a goal in and of itself. ‘There’s a need to balance between novelty and utility,’ said Katayama in an interview with Frame in 1998, ‘We don’t want weirdness that will make people say “Hey, look, it’s funny”.’ As so often happens, the lifespan of the talented duo came to an end when they discovered their interests and ideas no longer aligned. With his own studio, Wonderwall, Katayama continued to walk the visionary path initiated by H Design Associates. Particu-

larly in his collaborations with Japanese DJ, producer, fashion designer and entrepreneur Nigo, he broke conventions and explored new horizons for retail. For Nigo’s A Bathing Ape (a.k.a. Bape) brand, Katayama assembled shoes on conveyor belts, displayed apparel like a gallery would and covered walls with white bathroom tiles. Long before the rest of the world would talk about experiential retail, Katayama was already inventing it. Having gained a reputation from his work with Nigo, Katayama teamed up with big-name brands like A.P.C., Fred Perry and Uniqlo in the early 2000s. He showed a deep interest in his clients, translating the essence of their brands into stores that felt as fresh and sharp as his early work. Katayama had foresight, too; a glance through Wonderwall’s online archive will reveal projects that feel just as contemporary today as they did 20 years ago. In the past decade, Katayama has matured and refined his approach to retail. Nostalgia and comfort entered the picture.

Frame Awards

He’s mastered bigger spaces, such as the two-storey IAPM food court in Shanghai. He’s followed his bigger clients, like Uniqlo and Lexus, around the world. Did he approach any project in a routine fashion? Absolutely not. Although all of his works to date share bold colour and material contrasts, show a clear organization of space and can perhaps be called ‘masculine’, the world of Wonderwall lacks a strong signature style. Deep down, Masamichi Katayama has remained that curious, playful young man that opened up shop some 28 years ago. His work is destined to stay fresh, always offers a surprise or two, and considers the comfort of its users. Even more importantly, the true Katayama store marries artistry with economics. It’s no wonder pop celebrities like Pharrell and Drake want to go into business with him. RT wonder-wall.com

Almicheal Fraay

Masamichi Katayama is the founder and CEO of Wonderwall, whose clients include Uniqlo, Lexus, Westbank and Pierre HermĂŠ Paris.

Honorary

Courtesy of ArkDes

For Flying Panels – How Concrete Panels Changed the World – a 2019 project at ArkDes, Sweden’s national centre for architecture and design – Note utilized its material sensitivity to bring light and warmth to a typically cold and heavy material.

Frame Awards

Designer of the Year

Daniela Gyllensten

Note Design Studio

It’s hard to fault good Scandinavian design. It’s captured the hearts – and overtaken the mood boards – of countless stylists, and been adopted in homes on every corner of the globe. Part of its appeal is its simplicity – minimalism without the coldness. The Swedes apparently have a word for it: lagom means ‘moderate’ or ‘just enough’. While it wouldn’t be flattering to label Note as proponents of Scandinavian design – the team actively avoids being tied to a particular style – the Stockholm-based studio has undoubtedly mastered the art of moderation. Note was founded in 2008 and works in the fields of architecture, interiors, products, graphic design and design strategy. Despite rejecting categorization, the team is aware of several characteristics that run through its projects: ‘dreams, function, creativity and respect for the environment.’ We’ll add another to the list: restraint. Note’s projects feel harmonious, with a material

Honorary

sensitivity that’s almost impossible to learn. The non-hierarchical studio has grown to a team of 14 designers that have flexed those skills across successful interior projects: from hotels to installations within various scales and budgets. The names behind Note say that as designers, they’re ‘very aware of the problem attached to making new things in a world already full of stuff. But we believe that design has the power to change for the better the way we consume.’ Today, when we’re seeing the alarming results of our throwaway culture, we need designers to wear sustainability on their sleeves. Note’s message? ‘We’re always saying that there’s sustainability in aesthetics. If you create a product that’s beautiful and durable enough, it will stand the test of time.’ TI notedesignstudio.se

PEOPLE’S CHOICE WGNB

Emerging Designer of the Year

Roth Architecture

‘His intuition of building, man and nature is the most remarkable thing we've seen today.’ So said Cutwork cofounder Kelsea Crawford after Roth Architecture’s presentation for House of the Year. Unsurprising, then, that the practice eventually took home the award for its design of Uh May Residence (see page 118). And it wasn’t just that project that captivated the jury. The designer’s portfolio of organic, twisting structures sent him onto the stage to collect the Emerging Designer of the Year trophy as well. Eduardo Neira, who goes by the name of Roth, founded his firm in 2018 in Azulik, an environmentally conscious resort in Tulum, Mexico. Roth Architecture is based on three pillars: artistic expression, a reverence for nature and the preservation of our indigenous communities’ ancestral techniques. Going against the grains of mass manufacture, prefabrication and construction technologies, the practice exists outside traditional modes of architecture. Roth says he relies on ‘nature’s existing structural logic to resolve problems presented by each site from day to day. Building is an act of improvisation and collaboration between the architects and skilled Maya craftsmen.’ But Roth isn’t simply returning to the past: ‘We frequently experiment with natural materials in previously unused ways,’ he says, ‘like our ceilings woven from ordinary jungle vines. The fluidity of form resonates with the patterns and shapes that occur in the forest, and we refuse to cut down trees whenever possible. Our work demonstrates that construction is possible without destroying living ecosystems, and that the ancestral wisdom of indigenous communities can coexist with modern technology.’ Working with nature and not against it. It’s a refreshingly mindful – and increasingly necessary – approach. TI roth-architecture.com

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AtMa

Frame Awards

Like all of Rothâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s projects, Sfer Ik Museion was built with profound respect for its natural surroundings. The art gallery in Tulum, Mexico, stands on stilts so that animals can freely pass beneath the building.

Honorary

Courtesy of Felice Varini

Frame Awards

Client of the Year

Galeries Lafayette With the future of physical retail increasingly uncertain, department stores are becoming an endangered breed. But rather than surrender to the threat of e-commerce, Galeries Lafayette chose to invest in redefining the typology. How should the future-proofed department store operate? To whom should it appeal? Since today’s consumers expect memorable experiences, the French department store chain is marrying culture and commerce. And what’s the best way to deliver impactful experiences? Be bold. Galeries Lafayette was brave enough to open a store without shop windows and to import its homegrown concept of flâneurism as a circulation strategy in its latest Asian flagship. The former, the work of Bjarke Ingels’ BIG, is designed as a Champs-Élysées destination (see Frame 129, p. 89). Realizing that two big drawcards to physical retail are curated selections and optimal service, the brand included niche labels available at no other Galeries Lafayette store and opted for 300 trained stylists instead of sales staff. And the company is not just working with big (pardon the pun) established names, but also relative newcomers, such as Studio GGSV. As part of an exhibition and event strategy designed to drive foot traffic, Demain, le vaisseau chimère (Tomorrow, the chimerical vessel. See Frame 127, p. 87) was on show during the 2018-2019 holiday season. Studio GGSV fused the physical and the digital in a multisensory installation that appealed not just to adults, but also to kids. Setting aside the ethics involved in marketing to children, if a brand is already trying to cater for the next generation of consumers, it most certainly has its eyes set firmly on the future. TI galerieslafayette.com

PEOPLE’S CHOICE Lexus

Paul Blind

As the image and communications director at Galeries Lafayette and president of the Lafayette Anticipations foundation, Guillaume Houzé initiates collaborations with artists, resulting in pop-ups such as Felice Varini’s installation at the Shanghai department store (opposite).

Honorary

spatial awards retail

JURY Marsha Meredith Aēsop - Creative Director Andreas Bozarth Fornell Specific Generic - CEO and Principal Architect Hannah Carter Owers Carter Owers - Founder Natacha Prihnenko Hermès - Windows and Art Buying Director Vincent Sturkenboom De Bijenkorf - Creative Director Hugo Haas Ciguë - Founding Partner

sponsor Chemetal

Kuomin Lee

Jury member Natacha Prihnenko of Hermès described Exhibition of Frozen as ‘monastic, deep and timeless’.

Frame Awards

Single-Brand Store of the Year

Exhibition of Frozen by Waterfrom Design BEIJING The jury was torn between two very different projects in the Single-Brand Store of the Year category. In the end, Waterfrom Design’s Exhibition of Frozen edged out Blue Bottle Coffee Seongsu by Schemata Architects, which the jury called a ‘great combination of architecture and design, whose careful consideration of the customer experience ultimately elevates the brand’. The winners from Waterfrom were praised for delivering ‘a poetic expression and memorable experience’ with their interior of a retail health clinic in Beijing. ‘It delivers traditional cultural cues on a contem-

porary scale.’ Indeed, the design team wanted to offer a new take on Traditional Chinese Medicine, forgoing such tropes as heavy wooden cabinetry and the aromas of pungent herbs in favour of something more light and ethereal. Herbs do feature, for instance, but are encased within a glowing glass grid instead of apothecary bottles. ‘If these herbs are indeed used in treatments, then that’s a beautiful gesture,’ said jury member Andreas Bozarth Fornell, founder of Specific Generic. Natacha Prihnenko, windows and art buying director for Hermès, was impressed that Waterfrom ‘didn’t just repeat tradition but

Retail

took it further – and reinventing tradition can be the most difficult thing’. Aēsop creative director Marsha Meredith agreed, adding that ‘the thought underpins the design’. While Meredith did feel the aesthetic was a bit cold, Bozarth Fornell appreciated that such a space is located within the bustling metropolis of Beijing: ‘It’s a fantastic contrast from the city.’ TI waterfrom.com

PEOPLE’S CHOICE Freitag Sweat-Yourself-Shop by Freitag

Multi-Brand Store of the Year

Kashiyama Daikanyama by Nendo

Takumi Ota

TOKYO ‘We’re starting to see retail as a

cultural event,’ said Andreas Bozarth Fornell of Specific Generic during deliberations for Multi-Brand Store of the Year. And the project that best reflected the tendency – and lived up to its role as a multi-brand store – was Nendo’s Kashiyama Daikanyama, a commercial complex in Tokyo. Although the site footprint allowed for a much bigger structure, the designers – in order to better blend the building within its environs – opted for a series of smaller boxlike units, stacked atop one another and overlapped horizontally to form an undulating landscape. The result not

only effectively splits up the space for various brands, but also leaves behind numerous exposed façades that effortlessly draw natural light into the interior. The interaction between in- and outdoors captured the attention of Natacha Prihnenko from Hermès, who also appreciated the ‘harmony outside and the disruptive diversity inside’. That diversity also appealed to Carter Owers founder Hannah Carter Owers: ‘Nendo spaces often feel very singular, built around one overriding theme, but this project feels rich, its individual spaces nicely complex and complete. There’s a nice balance – I like that the hospitality spaces feel a bit glitzy next to calmer gallery-like retail

Frame Awards

spaces.’ Vincent Sturkenboom, creative director of De Bijenkorf, was less enamoured of the interior: ‘The building is great, but the restaurant feels old-fashioned.’ Bozarth Fornell’s response? ‘Even if I don’t like everything I see, I’ll definitely be inspired here.’ But the jury was unanimous on one point: ‘The design serves the purpose for a full-day experience.’ TI nendo.jp

PEOPLE’S CHOICE Kashiyama Daikanyama by Nendo

Nendo’s commercial complex in Tokyo topped its category for being ‘designed with multiple brands in mind’.

Retail

Charlie Xia

‘Coordination Asia highlighted the product benefits, but in a playful way,’ said jury member Marsha Meredith of Aēsop.

Pop-Up Store of the Year

House of Innovation In-Store Installations by Coordination Asia SHANGHAI Although more in-store

installation than pop-up store, Coordination Asia’s House of Innovation (HOI) project in Shanghai has the typology’s hazy classification to thank for its win. What constitutes a pop-up these days? That question dominated the start of jury deliberations. ‘It’s a marketing tool,’ answered Andreas Bozarth Fornell of Specific Generic. ‘They’re opportunities to engage your customers,’ said Natacha Prihnenko of Hermès, ‘but maybe we should accept that a pop-up is hard to define.’ That’s because some are there today, gone tomorrow, whereas others linger longer than a pop-up perhaps should. Some travel around, others are purpose-built. The jury conceded that while no entry reinvented the genre, Coordination Asia’s was ‘a strong entry on multiple levels’.

HOI certainly fulfils the temporality factor. The theme changes every few weeks in line with featured collections – and the entire space along with it. Each makeover is a new iteration of the core concept in an immersive lab-like environment. The jury was most drawn to a sculptural arrangement of 120 speakers playing street-sourced sounds: ‘Humorous, clever and entertaining’, they said. ‘I can imagine these installations translating into window displays.’ (Bozarth Fornell). It wasn’t a complete home run, though. ‘Haven’t you seen this before from Nike?’ asked De Bijenkorf ’s Vincent Sturkenboom. ‘Is it bringing the industry forward or just a well-executed project?’ Hannah Carter Owers had a question of her own: ‘What happened to “Just Do It”? A whole load of

Frame Awards

unnecessary show biz relegates the actual products as secondary players to the overelaborate set design and props.’ On the other hand, according to Prihnenko, ‘pop-ups should be about exaggeration’. At the opposite end of the scale, the jury highly commended Hay Tokyo by Schemata Architects (the studio’s second close Awards encounter), for ‘creating maximum impact with minimum effort, drawing customers in from the street with a splash of colour’. TI coordination.asia

PEOPLE’S CHOICE Gacha Gacha Coffee by Nendo

Window Display of the Year

Winter Windows 2018 by Squire & Partners LONDON ‘They took the window to the next

level – we should reward that. And they’re promoting creativity in children, teaching them how powerful design can be.’ So wrote the jury in its report for Winter Windows 2018 at The Department Store in London. The project is a collaboration between designers from Squire and Partners and a group of Hill Mead Primary School students. Over the course of two workshops run by the practice, the children were challenged to create expressive winter shapes based on emotions or senses, such as excitement, light or cold. After selecting eight winning designers, Squire and Partners tasked its model-making team to turn the sketches into physical light installations for The Department Store’s windows. Natacha Prihnenko of Hermès said she’s noticed a new tendency for ‘using shop windows as bridges between communities. That’s the best thing brands with a strong

philosophy can do.’ De Bijenkorf ’s Vincent Sturkenboom appreciated that the project was ‘not really about windows but about people. The windows make the store the centre of the neighbourhood. I’d like to do this in De Bijenkorf.’ The jury members unanimously agreed that the project was deeply moving, with Hannah Carter Owers pointing out a deeper significance in relation to its location: ‘Art and design education in the UK is at risk, with government cuts meaning many schools have lost art and design resources and teachers. Initiatives like this can help to inspire the next generation of creative talent and show youngsters that a career in design is something to aspire to and is a legitimate, rewarding way to earn a living.’ TI squireandpartners.com

PEOPLE’S CHOICE Giants by RAY Atelier

Francis Augusto

Squire and Partners collaborated with primary school students for a series of windows at The Department Store, a community-driven move that earned top marks from the jury.

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JURY Caroline Cundall InterContinental Hotels Group - Director of Interior Design for Europe Marcel Wanders Marcel Wanders - Designer of the New Age Peter Bundgaard RĂźtzou and Signe Bindslev Henriksen Space Copenhagen - Founders Howard Sullivan YourStudio - Cofounder and Creative Director Alon Baranowitz and Irene Kronenberg Baranowitz + Kronenberg - Founders Joe Cheng Cheng Chung Design - Founder and Director

Kenta Hasegawa

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The jury was wholeheartedly united in its selection of DDAA’s Sushi Yoshii as Restaurant of the Year, admiring the project’s precision and personality.

Restaurant of the Year

Sushi Yoshii by DDAA TOKYO The deliberations for Restaurant of

the Year were longer than anticipated, but not because the jury members couldn’t make up their minds. Quite the contrary: they simply could not stop talking about how much they loved Sushi Yoshii by DDAA. The project recalls the makeshift temporary food stalls where sushi was originally served to a limited number of customers who could witness the chef ’s preparations at close range. The architects took design cues from the previous Sushi Yoshii restaurant, according to a concept that they describe as renga, or ‘linked-verse poetry’. They turned preparing sushi into a theatrical performance, or, as Baranowitz + Kronenberg cofounder

Irene Kronenberg described it: ‘Sushi Yoshii is an art installation – a ritual almost.’ The precision and personality of the restaurant were lauded across the board. Peter Bundgaard Rützou, founder of Space Copenhagen, highlighted the material consciousness, with the juxtaposition of roughly cut matte stone and shiny copper-plated scaffolding elements reflective of the product being prepared and served by the chef. The discussion even touched upon values such as truth, honesty and the meaning of life a design approach like DDAA’s represents in today’s modern society. That all being said, could this project work in any other context than Japan, Tokyo?

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For Alon Baranowitz, cofounder of Baranowitz + Kronenberg, Sushi Yoshii represents ‘true design, with fewer means, with less money. There’s nothing there and there’s a world there.’ According to Howard Sullivan, cofounder and creative director of YourStudio, ‘every image is seductive’. He called attention to ‘the materials, the delicacy and the poetry. It’s got such a twist to it. Even though it’s so quiet and simple, it’s quite noisily wabi-sabi in every way.’ IDJ ddaa.jp

PEOPLE’S CHOICE NENI by Concrete

Felix Michaud

Despite sparking debate, Avling came out ahead of the pack for its ‘conscious informality’ and ‘inclusiveness’.

Bar of the Year

Avling Kitchen and Brewery by LAMAS Architecture TORONTO A long and heated debate

among the members of the jury culminated in LAMAS Architecture taking home the Bar of the Year award for Avling Kitchen and Brewery. A discussion unfolded about relevance within the design profession, and about which perspectives and concepts need or deserve to be celebrated in this day and age. Is Avling Kitchen and Brewery simply the right proposal at this moment in time? Is it excellent design? As one jury member provokingly stated, is it just chairs in a room? Or, is it all of the above? LAMAS was inspired by the process at early breweries when renovating an old supermarket into Avling Kitchen and Brewery (avling

is Norwegian for ‘harvest’). The architects avoided the standard aesthetic conventions of breweries by putting the entire process of making beer on display in a fresh, brightly lit space under a green roof full of herbs and vegetables. Alon Baranowitz summarized the sentiments: ‘Good design is more than just design. “Nice” is not a value, as there are other things of no less importance that can drive a design. Avling does much more.’ Caroline Cundall, director of interior design for Europe at InterContinental Hotels Group, highlighted the conscious informality of the project, as well as its ‘inclusiveness, gener-

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ous use and social concept. In my heart I feel like Avling is more important for now. It’s a forward-looking idea of how things in the future will be used.’ Space Copenhagen cofounder Peter Bundgaard Rützou weighed in on the look and feel, mentioning that ‘the informality was a very conscious aesthetic applied to the notion and intent of the place. And that is very difficult to achieve.’ IDJ lamas.us

PEOPLE’S CHOICE Henry's by Heineken Experience and Ideal Projects

Hotel of the Year

Sweets Hotel by Space & Matter, Seven New Things and Grayfield A smart form of reuse and a new type of networked hospitality: just two of the reasons the names behind Sweets Hotel took home first prize in their category. Lotte Holterman

AMSTERDAM Was there any other option

than to announce the inventors of this new type of hospitality as the recipients of Hotel of the Year? No. The jury was very easily and eagerly swayed to declare Sweets Hotel the obvious winner. Transforming 28 different bridge houses built along Amsterdam’s waterways between 1673 and 2009 into hotel suites, Sweets offers a unique way to discover the city and its maritime industrial heritage up close and personally. As designer, art director and Amsterdam local Marcel Wanders put it: ‘I live in this city, and this has been waiting to happen. The timing had to be right to finally find the perfect opportunity for these things. Without Airbnb-type ideas, it would never have happened. It tells a story about reuse and recycling. It’s simple, direct and intuitive. It doesn’t scream design, and it’s really Dutch in its own way.’ The novel idea of ‘taking a hotel to pieces and scattering them around’ (Howard Sullivan, YourStudio) is what Space Copenhagen’s Peter Bundgaard Rützou found most disruptive: ‘It leaves all the intermediate spaces as the amenities, which in this case is the whole of Amsterdam. There is something enormously generous embedded into that thinking.’ Caroline Cundall of the InterContinental Hotels Group loved the fact that each hotel room at Sweets is different. ‘Every time you come to Amsterdam, you’d almost want to stay in a different one and tick them all off. That to me is charming in itself.’ And isn’t that what a successful hotel should do – charm you into staying there and coming back, time and again? And in the case of Sweets, each time offers a distinct slice of Amsterdam. IDJ spaceandmatter.nl sevennewthings.com grayfield.nl

PEOPLE’S CHOICE TWA Hotel by Stonehill Taylor

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Shao Feng

Despite being designed with kids in mind, Meland Club by X+Living was commended for its sophistication.

Entertainment Venue of the Year

Meland Club by X+Living WUHAN A fantastical immersive-yet-offline

ecosystem for children took home the title of Entertainment Venue of the Year. Its designers, X+Living, put the parent-child relationship centre stage by creating a surreal spatial journey for both parties. The jury thought it was a very fun and playful concept that takes children – the main users of the venue – seriously. Irene Kronenberg called it ‘a crazy, clean, non-digital playground for kids. It’s Alice in Wonderland; it’s the Tea Party – you want to eat it!’ Caroline Cundall of the InterContinental Hotels Group

also loved the ‘almost cartoon-like effect. Everything about it feels like you are walking into a cartoon.’ As a parent herself, Signe Bindslev Henriksen of Space Copenhagen related her own experience of spending countless hours in child-oriented entertainment venues that are ‘incredibly ugly’. She appreciated that Meland Club ‘has a certain charm and sophistication to it. There’s a need for places like this.’ Peter Bundgaard Rützou of Space Copenhagen was impressed by the quality of projects coming out of China: ‘There are

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a lot of Chinese projects in this year’s Frame Awards, and some of them are extremely well executed. Their level of building technology is very high. They can do amazing stuff.’ IDJ xl-muse.com

PEOPLE’S CHOICE Otherworld by Red Deer

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Health Club of the Year

Jiyu Spa by Shanghai Hip-Pop Design Team

DANYANG When Sigmund Freud, the

The jury appreciated Shanghai Hip-Pop Design Team’s abstract yet fully sensorial approach to the meditation and spa experience.

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founder of psychoanalysis, is quoted by the designers as one of the main inspirations for a spa, you’d better be prepared to be swept off your feet and to come out (of the spa) a different person. So, it seems totally justified that in order to select the Health Club of the Year, the jury members transcended into the future of what the next experience at health clubs and spas might look like. They ended up in the Far East, where, as jury member Alon Baranowitz of Baranowitz + Kronenberg put it, ‘they turn technology into craft’. According to YourStudio’s Howard Sullivan, the idea behind Jiyu Spa could very well be that of ‘Stanley Kubrick meets TeamLab meets a Rick Owens runway

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show. It’s almost like Shamanistic Futurism or Space Age Ikebana, transporting your state of mind in a novel and really graceful way.’ What designer and art director Marcel Wanders found most interesting was that ‘normally meditation is seen in the context of nature, but at Jiyu Spa they made it completely artificial in an urban environment – an artificial environment that becomes its own nature. It has a fantastic and very new appeal, the digital physical.’ IDJ hippop-sh.cn

PEOPLE’S CHOICE Transformation Miracles by Vox Architects

Zhang Jing

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JURY Colin Macgadie BDG - Chief Creative Officer Fabienne O'Neill Cuckooz and Cuckooz Nest - Cofounder and Director Herbert Schilthuis Heineken International - Director Global Health Alexander Rieck LAVA Founder and CEO / Fraunhofer IAO Senior Researcher Christian Dzieia Adidas - Vice President Corporate Real Estate

sponsor Pedrali

Philip Kottlorz

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Co-Working Space of the Year

Urban Spaces by Studio Komo STUTTGART The jury opened its discussion by contemplating how to define a successful co-working space. Their consensus? It should incorporate both spatial and functional variety to suit a diverse mix of users. Studio Komo’s Urban Spaces in Stuttgart, Germany, was judged the most successful example of this, thanks to the warmth of the eclectic palette and a deep consideration of the user experience. While the jury members conceded that it may not have been the most cohesive of the

nominated projects, they were charmed by its creativity and ambition. Colin Macgadie, chief creative officer at BDG, was particularly impressed by the artistic freedom expressed by the design team, feeling that it showed the DNA of Studio Komo. ‘I’d be interested to see how the concept can be projected into different places at different scales,’ he said. Alexander Rieck, founder and CEO of LAVA, was eager for the winning project to focus on user wellbeing and experi-

ence, saying that ‘office environments have a duty to go beyond putting people in spaces and ignoring what happens around them’. Ultimately, the jury was won over by the colourful, friendly vibe of the co-working space, which they all agreed would be a pleasant place to work. LT studiokomo.de

PEOPLE’S CHOICE Urban Spaces by Studio Komo

Studio Komo’s Urban Spaces was applauded for its warm, eclectic palette and deep consideration of the user experience.

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Alexander Sporre

Small Office of the Year

Impraise by D/Dock AMSTERDAM – Fabienne O’Neill, cofounder of Cuckooz and Cuckooz Nest, was immediately drawn to D/Dock’s Impraise in the Small Office of the Year category. ‘In terms of pushing the industry forward, this is exactly where we should be going,’ she said. ‘There was no [corporate] budget, but the client was on board with the concept the whole way. It shows what can be achieved with a bit of creativity.’ While there were no specific requirements from the clients at tech company Impraise, they did request to be ‘surprised’. Admiring the authentic, lively and fresh solution, the judges responded to the

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way that D/Dock took control of the design from concept to completion, even getting hands-on with the upcycling of furniture from its own warehouse collection. The novelty aspect of the design is what impressed LAVA’s Alexander Rieck the most: ‘The reality of being a designer is making the best of boundaries. Creating a meaningful approach unique to the studio is the future of design.’ – LT ddock.com

PEOPLE’S CHOICE Impraise by D/Dock

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Admiring D/Dock’s ambition and active commitment to sustainability, the jury felt that Impraise was not only innovative and unique, but also aesthetically interesting.

Large Office of the Year

The Core by CBRE Design AMSTERDAM Following significant

debate about the role of the workplace in a company’s rebranding, the jury unanimously decided that CBRE Design’s Amsterdam office, a.k.a. The Core, responded to a shift in company culture. The project transforms a former garage building into a lively and active workspace adorned with flourishing plant life and greenhouse-style meeting rooms. ‘You wouldn’t think this office belongs to CBRE,’ said Colin Macgadie of BDG. But the more the panel reflected on Macgadie’s point, the more obvious it became that that was the reason for the project’s success. Fabienne O’Neill of Cuckooz and Cuckooz Nest felt that the project was a clever response to a traditionally corporate industry (real estate) that is notoriously behind the curve when it comes to diversity.

LAVA’s Alexander Rieck was also impressed by the design’s ability to bring light into a ‘truly terrible existing building’, resulting in a genuinely pleasant and open working environment. Won over by both the improvement to the former architecture and the explicit effort to respond to upcoming change, the jury decided that expressing corporate DNA was a more important feature for the Large Office of the Year award than pushing a physical implementation of the brand. As Macgadie concluded: ‘The building becomes part of the language that signifies the company is changing.’ LT cbre.com

PEOPLE’S CHOICE The Core by CBRE Design

Stijn Poelstra

‘The Core future-proofs CBRE’s office building for the future workforce,’ said jury member Fabienne O’Neill of Cuckooz and Cuckooz Nest, ‘by creating an environment that will attract the next generation of talent.’

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Jury member Mels Crouwel felt ChartierDalix’s project is rare for its typology: ‘Most law faculties tend to be quite conservative and tame, and focus on their eye-catching libraries. This project avoids such conventionalities.’

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JURY Aura Luz Melis Inside Outside - Partner and Architect Kees Kaan KAAN Architecten - Founder Patrik Schumacher Zaha Hadid Architects - Principal Shireen Hamdan Populous - Senior Principal Mels Crouwel Benthem Crouwel Architects - Founding Partner and Architect Michelle Nicholls Jump Studios - Principal

Sergio Grazia

Learning Space of the Year

University of Law-Paris I, Modernization of the Lourcine Barracks by ChartierDalix PARIS Selecting the Learning Space of the

Year prompted a debate that centred on two projects – two incomparable projects, if you asked the jury. One is almost 10,000 m2 and designed for young adults; the other measures just over 1,000 m2 and is aimed at children. In the end, ChartierDalix’s intervention of the University of Law-Paris only just managed to stay ahead of Sissi’s Wonderland in Shanghai by Muxin Studio, which received plaudits for truly addressing the topic of learning in a design that pairs didactics with discovery. Whereas Muxin Studio conceived a completely new ‘world’, ChartierDalix transformed a heritage site – the former Lourcine barracks in Paris, to be precise, which comprise a parade ground and military buildings that date back to 1875. Although the jury members weren’t convinced by the

landscaped forecourt, they did appreciate the architects’ considered approach to the indoor areas, which include a 2,000-m2 library, 500-seat lecture theatre, classrooms, offices and a variety of communal ‘flow’ areas. Aura Luz Melis, partner and architect at Inside Outside, commended the project’s pureness and no-nonsense character, while Mels Crouwel, founding partner of Benthem Crouwel Architects, praised its robustness and big gestures. The qualities of the existing site are magnified, technical ceiling installations are left in plain sight, and the use of self-weathering steel links the outside with the inside while supporting the building’s unifying atmosphere. But do the project’s programme and strengths focus enough on learning to win this category? The question was raised

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by Kees Kaan, founder of Kaan Architecten, towards the end of the discussion. ‘Couldn’t the scheme just as easily be used for an office?’ he asked. Ultimately, the jury agreed that that was a strength, too. ‘I can see it working for a long time,’ concluded Luz Melis. ‘I’m allergic to interiors that are no more than a sauce.’ FK chartier-dalix.com

PEOPLE’S CHOICE University of Law-Paris I, Modernization of the Lourcine Barracks by ChartierDalix

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José Hevia

The jury was unanimous in its choice of Impress Dental Studio as the winner, particularly for its smart use of a small space.

Healthcare Centre of the Year

Impress Dental Studio by Raul Sanchez Architects BARCELONA ‘What the designer did within

this small space is magic,’ said Kees Kaan of Kaan Architecten, kicking off the deliberations about the Healthcare Centre of the Year. Following his statement, it took only a few minutes for the attending jury members to unanimously decide on Barcelona’s Impress Dental Studio, conceived by Raul Sanchez Architects, as the winning project. Praised for his ability to create a sense of accessibility and spatiality within a limited footprint, Sanchez referenced Carlo Scarpa in his presentation. It was a comment much appreciated by Kaan, who recognized similarities between Sanchez’s approach and the late architect’s

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Olivetti Showroom in Venice. ‘How much can you do per square metre?!’ he exclaimed. All in all, the jury was impressed by Sanchez’s multilayered and holistically implemented concept, which even incorporates the client’s logo into the design. Wooden partition walls featuring smile-shaped openings at the top enclose the dental studio’s treatment rooms, thus achieving a sense of privacy while maintaining an open ambience. Mels Crouwel of Benthem Crouwel Architects felt that ‘the materiality, paired with the use of bright red, speaks to the dentist’s young clientele’. Although Impress aims to serve its digital-native audience with

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online treatments, its first physical space in Spain is warm and inviting. While the only doubt about the project related to the axial configuration of the façade – ‘I wish they would have edited out some ideas’ (Michelle Nicholls, principal of Jump Studios) – the jury was exceedingly positive overall. As Aura Luz Melis of Inside Outside said, the project is ‘refreshing for the dentistry industry’. FK raulsanchezarchitects.com

PEOPLE’S CHOICE Impress Dental Studio by Raul Sanchez Architects

Governmental Interior of the Year

Kunshan Government Public Affairs Service Centre by Shanghai SiYu Interior Design

KUNSHAN Thanks to their personal

experiences with designing institutional buildings, the jury members were aware that the nominated projects and their respective architects in the Governmental Interior of the Year category had to deal with complex programmes and strict specifications, leaving little room to experiment. Shanghai SiYu Interior Design managed to convince them with a project that succeeded despite the limitations its public function might have brought with it. The Public Affairs Service Centre of the government of Kunshan, a county-level city not far from Shanghai, is designed with the visitor in mind. Michelle Nicholls of Jump Studios appreciated that the architects ‘considered the feelings of the people in the space’. As showcased in the presentation for the jury, most municipality service centres in China look uninviting, chaotic and daunting. The Kunshan centre, in contrast, feels welcoming. ‘I think that within its geographical context, this project is really revolutionary,’ said Kees Kaan of Kaan Architecten. ‘These types of buildings are usually quite military, characterized by the use of cold granite, stainless steel and rows of anonymous counters. Shanghai SiYu Interior Design managed to create a nice, diverse, airy and truly public interior, on all levels.’ FK

PEOPLE’S CHOICE State Office De Knoop by Fokkema & Partners Architecten

XiaZhi

The Kunshan Government Public Affairs Service Centre was commended for creating a surprisingly welcoming space.

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Jury member Kees Kaan called Junshan Cultural Center a prime example of a recent reuse-centred tendency in China. ‘By focusing increasingly on renovation projects and integrating them into new neighbourhoods, they keep their heritage intact.’

Cultural Space of the Year

Junshan Cultural Center by Neri&Hu Design and Research Office BEIJING The wedding bells were almost

ringing for KTX archiLAB, but its Cloud of Luster chapel, which the jury admired for ‘the way it floated in the landscape and offered wedding-worthy photo ops’, ultimately finished runner-up to the Junshan Cultural Center in Beijing. Originally a typical twostorey sales building on the Chinese city’s outskirts, the premises were transformed into an iconic three-storey clubhouse and sales centre, courtesy of Neri&Hu Design and Research Office. Jury member Mels Crouwel of Benthem Crouwel Architects was impressed by the project’s place-making qualities, especially compared with the way ‘untapped’ locations are usually promoted in his home country of the Netherlands. ‘The tools used

to build connection between people and the locations of future developments are typically temporary here. We fill a few containers with casual co-working spots, install a short-term beach and bring in some funny lights. This concept is much more considered and lasting,’ he said. Kees Kaan of Kaan Architecten agreed: ‘It’s a community-maker. Everyone who will become a resident of this future neighbourhood has a connection with the centre. They experienced a significant moment here – they bought a house. And gradually it becomes their clubhouse, their library. It will remain a centre point in the area.’ The jury admired the precision with which Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu transformed the property, and how they mixed traditional and modern design lan-

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guages. On the façade, for example, bamboo is transformed into a light, warm veil that softens the heaviness of the building mass. Gold brick tiles extend from the exterior landscape into the interior spaces, among which are an events hall, business lounge, library, children’s reading room and bar. Kaan went as far as to say that ‘Neri and Hu are among the few architects capable of making contemporary Chinese architecture that doesn’t look like European or American – or perhaps global – architecture. Their projects have a certain authenticity.’ FK neriandhu.com

PEOPLE’S CHOICE

Qujiang Creative Cultural Centre by The Oval Partnership

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JURY Ivy Ross Google - Vice President of Hardware Design Laura Bielecki Ellington Properties - Senior Manager Interior Design Alfredo Häberli Alfredo Häberli Design Development Founder Kelsea Crawford and Antonin Yuji Maeno Cutwork - Cofounders, CEO and Lead Architect Dominique Taffin Yanfeng Automotive Interiors - Industrial Design Senior Manager

Small Apartment of the Year

Marylebone Apartment by Proctor & Shaw Architects LONDON With an array of varied candidates

Proctor & Shaw received high marks for cleverly converting an inefficient one-bedroom residence into a twobedroom abode.

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to review, the jury members found it compelling to question the selection criteria for the winning project. After lengthy debate, they arrived at the age-old saying, ‘form follows function’ – and at Marylebone Apartment in London as the victor. Rapid urbanization and population growth are making it generally harder to inhabit large urban spaces nowadays. Proctor & Shaw’s residence offered hope for the creation of something beautiful from much, much less. Within the property’s modest 75-m2 footprint, the London-based architects elegantly partitioned two bedrooms from the living spaces with a floor-to-ceiling profiled wall that also incorporates storage, integrated appliances and services. From this detailed Douglas fir joinery through to the incorporation of dark concrete in the shower room, the project maintains high visual standards throughout.

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The discussions among jury members kept returning to how to reconcile the desire to lean into aesthetic statements and the reality of the socioeconomic challenges facing the world today. Kelsea Crawford of Cutwork commended Marylebone Apartment on being ‘much more in conversation with the world than just a simply beautiful interior’, while her cofounder Antonin Yuji Maeno said it ‘responds to the realities of today’s living conditions’. It was a point further elaborated upon by Ivy Ross, VP of hardware design at Google: ‘It’s a smart use of space when space is getting smaller.’ LG proctorandshaw.com

PEOPLE’S CHOICE Vallirana 47 by Vora

StĂĽle Eriksen

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Francisco Nogueira

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Freebooter met all the parameters identified by the jury: it’s innovative, sustainable, and uses new materials and energy-efficient technologies.

Large Apartment of the Year

Freebooter by GG-Loop AMSTERDAM What is innovation? That

was the principal question that arose during deliberations for Large Apartment of the Year. Freebooter by GG-loop fulfilled every criterion the jury members had in mind: it’s innovative, sustainable, and uses new materials and energy-efficient technologies. Located at the centre of Amsterdam’s Zeeburgereiland with a sightline to the IJ River, Freebooter is designed with naval architecture at its core. It celebrates fluid curves and apertures, wood craftsmanship and an intricate relationship between interior

and exterior. Comprising two separate two-bedroom apartments, each measuring 120 m2, the project was calculated for comfort through parametric design – with a solid eco story to back it up. Freebooter utilizes prefabricated construction, a method that became a topic of conversation during the Frame Awards. The seasoned professionals around the table questioned why only now, so long after their introduction, techniques such as prefab and building information modelling (BIM) are finding their way into residential designs.

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‘We’ve got all these technologies and now we need to implement them,’ concluded Laura Bielecki, senior manager of interior design at Ellington Properties. ‘At a time when a lot of design firms still aren’t using technology to their advantage – not in residential at least – Freebooter is taking the technology to where we ought to get to.’ LG gg-loop.com

PEOPLE’S CHOICE JHouse by Zooco Estudio

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House of the Year

Uh May Residence by Roth Architecture

The twisting organic forms of Uh May Residence – and its designer, Roth Architecture – captured the full attention of the jury.

TULUM With its flowing form and complete

disregard of orthogonal design methods, Uh May Residence was praised for capturing the primal essence of humankind. The jury members were captivated by the charismatic presence of the nominee on stage – Eduardo Neira, a.k.a. Roth – and showered his project with compliments. Roth threw rationality out the window in favour of feeling, emotion and the organic growth of nature that surrounds the site and its people. ‘The house evolves according to the needs of its users,’ said Dominique

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Taffin of Yanfeng Automotive Interiors, ‘and goes against the trend of prefabrication.’ Indeed, unlike preconceived ideas surrounding innovation, which include technological advances and efficient fabrication methods, Roth Architecture represents a countermovement that honours meditative slowness. Craftsmanship and improvisation are two of the studio’s design methodologies that incited extensive discussion among the jury members. ‘He’s touched on something that is essential to humankind, something we may

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have lost touch with in some way,’ contemplated Kelsea Crawford of Cutwork. Have we engulfed ourselves in too many concrete jungles to forget that architecture and design can grow in actual jungles? LG roth-architecture.com

Roth Architecture also took home the jury prize for Emerging Designer of the Year (see page 86). PEOPLE’S CHOICE House in Kyoto by 07Beach

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Jordi Folch

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Co-Living Complex of the Year

Casa Burés by Estudio Vilablanch and TDB Arquitectura

Casa Burés topped its category and divided the jury: a thoughtful restoration project, yes, yet too exclusive to be truly considered co-living?

BARCELONA Undeniably gorgeous and

tasteful: so were the jury members’ unanimous views on Casa Burés in Barcelona. A modern baroque feeling pervades each space of the 26-unit building, where restored frescoes elegantly frame both luxury apartments and common areas, culminating in an emotive interpretation of co-living. ‘It’s the contrast of co-living with luxury,’ enthused Alfredo Häberli, founder of his eponymous design studio. ‘It’s a niche, but a very essential one moving forward when we consider socioeconomic trends.’ Dominique Taffin of Yanfeng Automotive Interiors used the winning project as an example of what co-living could achieve tomorrow: ‘Within Casa Burés, you

can participate in maintaining the heritage of an existing and deteriorating environment. Such projects could ultimately bring different wealth classes back into cities again.’ Indeed, with current high urban densification and the underappreciation of existing buildings, the prospect of rehabilitating historical buildings through a conscious communitarian lifestyle is encouraging. But one question remained: Does the project fulfil the definition of co-living? ‘Modern apartment blocks have created cities of gated, exclusive communities,’ said Antonin Yuji Maeno of Cutwork, specialists in new ways to live and work. ‘Today we are witnessing the emergence of a lot of experiments in cohabitation. At its best, shared architec-

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ture can unlock these gates and create more inclusive urban environments that encourage local interactions. Its potential goes beyond aesthetics to propose new ways of sharing and living in our cities, ways in which more accessible public spaces are created.’ With its luxurious closed porte-cochère and private communal amenities that include a swimming pool, spa, gym, wine cellar and event space, Casa Burés was provocative on a philosophical level. LG estudiovilablanch.com tdb-arquitectura.com

PEOPLE’S CHOICE Rheingold Bushwick by Durukan Design

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Show Flat of the Year

Inward Journey by Max Lam Designs MACAO As three-dimensional sales tools,

show flats exist to incite instant desire for the sake of doing business. Or so it seemed. Max Lam Designs raised the stakes for the future of the typology by creating a holistic experience that intrigued the presiding jury. As the only judge around the table in real estate development, Laura Bielecki of Ellington Properties pinpointed how the team at Max Lam won their trophy: ‘It’s sensorial and well thought through.’ Channelling each of the senses through bespoke art pieces and objects, Inward Journey invites visitors to stay, to slow down and to journey into themselves.

With a simple yet effective material palette of wood, terrazzo and brass – complemented by custom scents and a soundscape that jury members could only imagine – Max Lam embraced Eastern aesthetics. Some questioned whether the project stuck too closely to stereotypes, but who can blame designers for adopting and enhancing typologies that appear to work? LG maxlam.com

PEOPLE’S CHOICE One Wellington by K.P.D.O.

Despite what the category’s title might suggest, Max Lam Designs earned first place by focusing on the senses rather than showmanship.

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Dick Liu

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JURY Daria Jelonek Studio Above&Below - Cofounder Shogo Kawata and Takashi Kudo teamLab Architects - Representative and Communications Director Francesco Moncada and Mafalda Rangel Moncada Rangel - Architects and Founders Ramona Bronkar Bannayan MoMA Museum of Modern Art - Senior Deputy Director of Exhibitions and Collections Maria Cristina Didero Independent Curator

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Pedro Pegenaute

The jury members concurred that The Unfolding Village should be ‘highly recognized’ for pushing boundaries in the trade-fair realm.

Trade-Fair Stand of the Year

The Unfolding Village by Neri&Hu STOCKHOLM Innovation is not based

only on technology,’ mused Daria Jelonek, cofounder of Studio Above&Below, while reflecting on Neri&Hu’s The Unfolding Village. ‘This project is innovative because it pushes the boundaries of what a trade-fair stand can be – it tells an important story.’ All jurors were in agreement that the strength of the 2019 Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair’s Guest of Honour stand derived from its social narrative. That angle specifically centred on China’s disappearing villages and village culture. A consequence of relentless urbanization, this loss has amounted to an estimated 920,000 villages in the span of 15 years, according to a 2017 report by China City News. The Unfolding Village, an attempt to capture

the essence of these clan-based settlements, was to be a strong departure from fairs driven solely by product display. A reference to rural alleyways and streets, the stand’s unfurling pathways were outlined by repeating timber structures formed like abstracted pitch roofs. Along the way, Neri&Hu curated its own furniture, lighting and accessories, and devised encounter-oriented nooks. By bringing awareness of the crisis to a new audience in an unexpected way, ‘Neri&Hu effectively changed the conversation around the problem they were addressing’, said MoMA’s senior deputy director of exhibitions and collections Ramona Bronkar Bannayan. ‘A team being so socially conscious about what they were bringing forward is highly unusual in a

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trade-fair environment – the space is visually and conceptually satisfying.’ The downfall of the other projects wasn’t their lack of vision, but their inability to provoke the same level of introspection and discussion: ‘For me, the most challenging thing about being a creative person, or working as architect or designer, is being critical,’ said Francesco Moncada, architect at and cofounder of Moncada Rangel. ‘This project is: it raises questions about topics that are important for us – and for everyone.’ LGM neriandhu.com

PEOPLE’S CHOICE The Path by Yerce Architecture and ZAAS

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Exhibition of the Year

Unfluencer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; De-Sinning the Designer by Freitag Lab and Georg Lendorff

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Claudio Grassi

Advocating for exhibitions that encourages participation, the jury members found what they were looking for in Unfluencer: an immersive environment for design ‘sinners’ to reflect and repent.

MILAN The jury members mulled over the

Exhibition of the Year candidates for quite some time before arriving at the winner. The idea of participation was brought up often: which space was most engaging? Did the design prompt visitors to really interact with one another, to move around? For Shogo Kawata and Takashi Kudo of teamLab, answering these questions was key. When asked to select her favourite project, MoMA’s Ramona Bronkar Bannayan answered with the installation Unfluencer – De-sinning the Designer, saying it was ‘a bit of a guilty pleasure’. For Bannayan, the exhibition – developed by accessories retailer Freitag and Swiss artist Georg Lendorff for Milan Design Week 2019 – not only hit the participation mark, but did so with

cleverness, humour and an interesting point of view. Shown as part of the Ventura Centrale exhibition, Unfluencer consisted of an immersive light installation by Lendorff, in which visitors were playfully prompted to share with one another the ‘sins’ they’ve committed as designers and consumers. But confession wasn’t met without the opportunity for contrition. As a symbol of commitment, the ‘sinners’ used handheld inkjet printers to print their pledges directly onto their clothes and bags. The idea? We should be talking about bad design, not only about good design. The idea also resonated with Daria Jelonek and Francesco Moncada, cofounders of Studio Above&Below and Moncada Rangel, respectively. ‘The exhibition was perfect for the venue in Milan,’

Shows

reflected Moncada, who appreciated that it surpassed pure aesthetics and challenged the event itself. These points eventually won over the representatives from teamLab, who had originally stood alongside the People’s Choice voters in favouring The Art of Bloom. LGM freitag.ch georglendorff.com

Unfluencer – De-Sinning the Designer also took home the jury prize for Best Use of Light (see page 130). PEOPLE’S CHOICE The Art of Bloom by Intertrend Communication and Daikoku Design Institute

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Set Design of the Year

The Truth is Local by Local Projects

NEW YORK CITY A classroom, prison

block, lone taxi cab, neighbourhood’s underbelly, abandoned subway tunnel. In truth, this category’s winning project encompassed not one set, but a city’s worth – New York City, to be precise. The Truth is Local, a pop-up by Local Projects for The New York Times, was a takeover of vacant storefronts across the Big Apple that sought to give people a new perspective on investigative journalism. Embodying Times reporting from each borough of New York City, the sets drew attention to such critical urban issues as educational inequity, wrongful imprisonment and taxi licensing. Shogo Kawata and Takashi Kudo of teamLab felt that, of the three Shows subcategories, competition was most stiff for the Set Design of the Year; they were particularly impressed by the technological achievements of Didzis Jaunzems Architecture’s set for

Latvian show Abas Malas. Likewise, Moncada Rangel’s Francesco Moncada and Studio Above&Below’s Daria Jelonek nodded to the sustainable practices employed in Spacon & X, Frederik Nystrup-Larsen and Oliver Sundqvist’s How to Build a Blanket Fort. But it became clear that The Truth Is Local had the biggest impact overall: ‘The project proposes a new way to move the industry forward,’ explained MoMA’s Ramona Bronkar Bannayan. ‘It was a smart opportunity for The New York Times to bend themselves back into the community – to be tactile when newspapers themselves are starting to disappear.’ LGM localprojects.com

PEOPLE’S CHOICE Kasane no Irome – Piling up Colors by Nakamura Kazunobu Design-Works

By strewing sets throughout New York City, Local Projects proposed ‘a new way to move the industry forward’, according to MoMA’s Ramona Bronkar Bannayan.

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Shows

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Juliana Sohn, courtesy of The New York Times

executional awards

JURY Stefan Diez Diez Office - Founder Apameh Ruckert Zeitgeist Group - Head of Architecture and Human Interface Design Valentina Guidi Ottobri Contemporary Design Curator Daniel Heckscher Note Design Studio - Interior Architect and Partner Pallavi Dean Roar - Founder and Creative Director

Best Use of Light

Unfluencer – De-sinning the Designer by Freitag Lab and Georg Lendorff MILAN Picking the winner of the Best Use

of Light provoked a lively, thought-provoking conversation. With such variety in both scale and setting, how could the nominated projects even be compared in the first place? What sparked the judges’ particular interest in Unfluencer is that its creator, George Lendorff – a video and light artist working in the fields of opera and theatre – ‘managed to take scenography into a spatial context, into our worlds. In this project, only light is used to create a space as well as a spatial identity,’ said Daniel Heckscher, interior architect and partner at Note Design Studio. The installation, shown at last year’s Salone del Mobile, consisted of 7,200 evenly spaced threads that managed to capture projected light without the use of external factors. It’s a remarkable feat when you

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consider that this type of lighting and projection setup is typically less successful without the help of a fog machine. The jury valued the project’s experimental quality, along with the artful and deliberately minimal use of materials. Lendorff showed how light can stand on its own and be deployed in an innovative manner to form an autonomous, immersive space as well as a work of art. Pallavi Dean, founder and director of Roar, visited the installation during her time in Milan: ‘It totally engulfs the visitor. Once you enter it, you’re really in it.’ CB freitag.ch georglendorff.com

PEOPLE’S CHOICE Display Center of Courtyard No. 1 by Beijing Puri Lighting Design

Frame Awards

In Unfluencer, ‘only light is used to create a space as well as a spatial identity’, said jury member Daniel Heckscher of Note Design Studio.

Claudio Grassi

Executional

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Daisuke Shima

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Case-Real proved that the best use of colour doesn’t have to be colourful with its black-on-black restaurant, Nôl.

Best Use of Colour

Nôl by Case-Real TOKYO What might seem like a surprising

winner for this particular category, Nôl – a restaurant serving French haute cuisine in the heart of Tokyo – stole the jury’s hearts with its anti-colour approach. The absence of colour ‘allows us to focus solely on the theatre of cooking,’ said Pallavi Dean of Roar. Case-Real impressed by carefully dosing its ingredients: gradation, stucco paint and an intricate lighting scheme. Contemporary design curator Valentina Guidi Ottobri pointed out that ‘most black rooms can be experienced as cold and austere, but Nôl stands out for its great use of the entire palette, showing how an all-black interior can turn out soft and balanced’. All judges agreed that the dark-hued space does not compete with, or distract from, the

Executional

objective of a restaurant: it highlights the clear distinctions of a stage (the kitchen) and an audience (the guests). An open-plan interior allows the two elements to alternate smoothly when food is brought to the table. The jury believed that at Nôl, the food truly is the star. Just as a garnish adds the final flourish to a dish, they envisioned the food becoming the last – and only – splash of colour in the interior. In that way, the space becomes a backdrop for the vibrant palette on each plate to shine through. CB casereal.com

PEOPLE’S CHOICE Wonder Galaxy by Patricia Bustos Studio

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Best Use of Digital Technology

Hipanda by Curiosity

The jury praised Curiosity’s Gwenael Nicholas for his perfect execution of a phygital world for Hipanda.

TOKYO Today’s retailers are concerned with

finding ways to draw consumers from the online realm back into their brick-and-mortar stores. ‘Everything is about the experience you can create for the customer. “Luxury” right now is not about price or quality; it’s about time, experience and the inspiration you can find in a space.’ Curator Valentina Guidi Ottobri spoke these words with the winning project in mind: the Hipanda flagship in Tokyo. When entering the Curiositydesigned store, visitors can use augmented reality (AR) to find and follow the ‘invisible’ host: a panda bear. According to the jury, the moving virtual sculptures that appear in the middle of the showrooms are yet another example of the selected media being applied

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with precision and artistry to tell the story of both the character and of the brand. Alongside AR, various mechanical technologies – smart rotating displays, for example – are ingeniously implemented. The jury felt that Gwenael Nicholas of Curiosity had perfectly executed a phygital world. By paying equal attention to the store’s physical and digital elements, he created a strong and clear dialogue between the two. Stefan Diez, founder of Diez Office, said the project showed a ‘strong refinement of expression in the physical space, in which digital elements are applied seamlessly’. CB curiosity.jp

PEOPLE’S CHOICE Lab100 by Cactus

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Satoshi Shigeta

Best Use of Material

Concrete Choreography by Digital Building Technologies, ETH Zurich and Physical Chemistry of Building Materials, ETH Zurich RIOM – ‘It’s an old building material pro-

cessed in a modern way, taking advantage of cutting-edge technology, with the promise of saving on material, time and effort.’ So stated part of the jury report on Concrete Choreography. While the nine 2.7-m-tall concrete columns are at first glance hard to place – are they from the past or from the future? – they were in reality manufactured via 3D printing. ‘When I saw the columns, their texture and detailed forms immediately spoke to me and evoked emotion,’ said Apameh Ruckert, head of architecture and human interface design at Zeitgeist Group. The project resulted from a ten-week study project by students of ETH Zurich’s Master’s of Advanced Studies in Digital Fabrication and Architecture course. Applauding the fact that the academy approached Frame with a student project, the jury was extremely supportive of the team’s approach towards exploring the material’s form, potential and boundaries. The jury realized that Concrete Choreography is only the first step in a long process of researching and developing the technology for future architecture. Daniel Heckscher of Note Design Studio valued the project’s artistic approach, adding that he is curious to see how it will progress, particularly in terms of the material’s loadbearing qualities and structural elements. CB dbt.arch.ethz.ch ifb.ethz.ch/pcbm

PEOPLE’S CHOICE Concrete Choreography by Digital Building Technologies, ETH Zurich and Physical Chemistry of Building Materials, ETH Zurich

The students behind Concrete Choreography were complimented for their approach towards exploring one material’s form, potential and boundaries.

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Benjamin Hofer

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Best Craftsmanship

BingDing Wood Kiln by AZL Architects

Dong Suhong

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BingDing Wood Kiln won the Best Craftsmanship title on many levels. Not only is the project itself expertly crafted, but it supports the survival of a traditional craft.

JINGDEZHEN ‘Since we live in a world

where future manufacturing will involve a lot of 3D printing, and where wood working will be done by CNC cutters – a world that’s becoming so detached from craft – it’s surprising to see a project that speaks about the celebration of craftsmanship in a poetic way.’ Note Design Studio’s Daniel Heckscher was talking about BingDing Wood Kiln by AZL Architects. Porcelain is deeply ingrained in the history of Jingdezhen – the Chinese prefecture-level city is known as the capital of the craft. New ways of firing ceramics have greatly impacted the industry, leaving the technique vulnerable to extinction. AZL Architects’ client was worried that the skill involved in building a wood kiln of this size would also die out over time. Apameh Ruckert of Zeitgeist Group: ‘We are all supportive of

this method of giving traditional craftsmanship the room to live on.’ AZL Architects celebrated the beauty of the craft by building an almost sacred structure; ‘mausoleum- and churchlike,’ said the jury. ‘Its concrete form echoes its ceremoniousness,’ said Pallavi Dean, before giving the last word to Stefan Diez: ‘The majority of the new generation doesn’t want to learn these skills as they envision their futures in high-tech industries. We see that this project truly holds the potential to generate and preserve interest in the traditional craft of firing ceramics in a wood kiln.’ CB azlarchitects.com

PEOPLE’S CHOICE Little Shelter Hotel by Department of Architecture

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societal awards

JURY Natsai Audrey Chieza Faber Futures - Founder and Director Adam Nathaniel Furman Artist and Designer Martha Thorne Dean of IE School of Architecture and Design / Executive Director of the Pritzker Architecture Prize Kaave Pour Space10 - Cofounder and Managing Director Regine Leibinger Barkow Leibinger - Cofounder

sponsor Iris Ceramica Group

Jorn van Eck

The judges commended Brasserie 2050 for an off-the-shelf design that lends itself well to travel.

Sustainability Award

Brasserie 2050 by Overtreders W BIDDINGHUIZEN The jury members

debated rigorously while reviewing the Sustainability Award of the Year nominees, of which three out of five were pavilions. Kaave Pour, cofounder and managing director of Space10, voiced the question on everyone’s minds: ‘With most projects being so temporal, at what level do we judge them?’ How does intention factor against a project’s imminent perishability? Does educational endeavour outweigh spatial ambition? Some jury members considered foregoing the pavilion nominees altogether, while others disagreed. ‘No, we cannot eliminate a project just because it is temporary,’ stressed Martha Thorne, dean

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of the IE School of Architecture and Design. The judges eventually declared Brasserie 2050 by Overtreders W to be the winner. The zero-food-waste concept restaurant – which opened its doors at the Lowlands festival in Biddinghuizen, the Netherlands – travels to events around Europe, temporarily popping up for their duration. The pavilion’s nomadic design simultaneously speaks to vice and virtue: despite producing considerable carbon emissions by constantly travelling, the structure utilizes materials well suited to transportation and reassembly. Regine Leibinger, cofounder of Barkow Leibinger, said that ‘pavilions are a

Frame Awards

nice typology for architects because they are research tools’. On the other hand, Natsai Audrey Chieza, founder and director of Faber Futures, felt the project could have dived deeper, maintaining that the food production research remained ‘undeveloped’. Thorne agreed, concluding that nevertheless: ‘It is a lovely space. It’s made from off-the-shelf materials and it serves a purpose for the time that it is up.’ IH overtreders-w.nl

PEOPLE’S CHOICE Circular Factory by GC, by Party/ Space/Design

Innovation Award

Flatmates by Cutwork PARIS Scalable, economical, on-demand and

process of ‘moving the furniture around to make different kinds of spaces – it’s about the sociality’. Nevertheless, Furman recognized how powerful the impact of this manufacturing technique on the housing economy can be, raising the point that ‘private rentals are experiencing the biggest growth in architecture right now’. As homeownership becomes increasingly unaffordable for Western millennials and more and more people move to metropolises, designing sociable and affordable housing is becoming vital. Martha Thorne of the IE School of Architecture and Design cast her vote: ‘Finding ways to produce cheaply, with good quality and on demand – as opposed to stocking up – is admirable.’ IH cutworkstudio.com

PEOPLE’S CHOICE Space Duality – Virtual Reality in Interior Architecture by HEAD Genève, Department of Interior Architecture and Atelier Simon Husslein

Through its design of affordable, on-demand and durable modular furnishings, Cutwork claimed first prize for its sociable reinterpretation of shared living space.

Handover Agency

site-specific: this is how the jury described co-living complex Flatmates by furniture and architectural design studio Cutwork. ‘I was intrigued by the technical solution,’ said artist and designer Adam Nathaniel Furman, ‘and the fact that it can be produced anywhere in the world. For me, this project is all about the products and manufacturing.’ Believing that the sofa-facing-TV model of yesteryear is archaic, the Flatmates team is on a mission to revitalize shared living spaces. The co-living provider offers renters modular furnishings built to be pulled apart and easily joined together. The idea? To accommodate as wide a range of social interactions and lifestyles as possible. To achieve this, Cutwork produced the furnishings for the Parisian project with leading-edge laser-cutting technology that maximizes customization possibilities. ‘The innovation doesn’t lie in that technology,’ clarified Regine Leibinger of Barkow Leibinger. Rather, it’s about the

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Social Award

The First Inclusive School by Sarit Shani Hay TEL AVIV ‘A very authentic project.’ Kaave

Pour of Space10 spoke for the entire jury when he praised The First Inclusive School in Tel Aviv. The project ‘challenges what children learn and how they learn – and embeds those findings into an architectural programme.’ ‘It felt like every single photo – every detail – contained a story or element that possibly goes back 20 years,’ mused Adam Nathanial Furman. Since the birth of her daughter two decades prior, Sarit Shani Hay has dedicated her life’s work to childcentric design and pedagogical environments. The First Inclusive School, the first of its kind in Israel, is a prototypical public institution that builds on itself as its students – 25 per cent of whom are diagnosed with physical or

autistic disabilities – age. Hay’s school currently educates about 500 students over 12 grades, with plans to expand in size and number. Furman burst into laughter: ‘I love the way she said “prototype” – it’s a huge school!’ ‘It’s clear that Hay really worked with these disabled kids and knows what to do,’ said Regine Leibinger of Barkow Leibinger. ‘The way that she presented the project was very authentic, and I believe her architecture is quite authentic as well.’ IH shanihay.com

PEOPLE’S CHOICE Phvlo Hatch by The Good Studio

Jury member Kaave Pour of Space10 was won over by The First Inclusive School’s authenticity: ‘It challenges what children learn and how they learn – and embeds those findings into an architectural programme.’

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Ronni Cnaani

social media award Highest Engagement on Instagram

McDonald’s Kitchen in the Sky by Landini Associates SYDNEY Love it or hate it, Instagram is an

Trevor Mein

invaluable tool for exposure and connection today. Bearing that in mind, we wanted to harness its power to introduce our 188,000-person audience – and hopefully new followers, too – to the innovative spaces, studios and designers that made it onto our Frame Awards 2020 shortlist. What’s more, we decided to award the most-interacted-with project an honorary accolade for the first time this year. The winning numbers: 190K impressions, 11,500 likes and 86 comments. All were for McDonald’s Kitchen in the Sky at Sydney Airport, which was nominated for Restaurant of the Year. The designers, local firm Landini Associates, aimed ‘to embrace McDonald’s history of innovation in combining lateral thought, speed, quality and entertainment, built around their “industrial revolutionizing” of food production’. A yellow glass box housing the kitchen hovers over the service counter and food is efficiently delivered via a conveyor that spirals towards the ground. Judging by the comments, our followers were divided. Some called the design ‘sophisticated fast food’, ‘fancy’, ‘freaking gorgeous’ and even ‘McSthetic’. Others were critical, referring to the conveyer belt system as ‘a more efficient way to kill people with unhealthy food’. In short, the design drove discussion, just like in our jury deliberations. Not to forget, if we had a prize for the best comment, it would go to: ‘I’m lovin’ it’. FE landiniassociates.com

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Frame Awards

Redefining Surfaces. Redefining Limits.

Dekton Ultracompact breaks down architectural boundaries and reimagines spaces to become infinite. We have redefined concepts to create a revolutionary and versatile material with a unique design, format and resistance.

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HYBRID FOOD RETAIL Rethinking Design for the Experiential Turn Discover emerging trends in the food retail industry – one of the most creative fields for designers, architects and other professionals. This handbook prescribes hybridization – a fusion of gastronomy, co-working, hospitality and performative formats – as a powerful remedy against digital disruption. €29

MOMENT Redefining the Brand Experience

WE BUILD DRAWINGS Mikkel Frost | CEBRA architecture

Tokyo-based design firm MOMENT’s book of the same name highlights a versatile and skillful visual approach, focusing on detail-oriented spatial branding and lighting design for interior solutions that are both functionally and emotionally driven. €39

In an age of computer-generated images, this collection of sketches and watercolours by architect Mikkel Frost puts a spotlight on the power of hand drawing as a lucid communication tool. €29

THE THEATRE OF WORK Clive Wilkinson

FUTURE FOOD TODAY A Cookbook by SPACE10

This book proposes six humanistic principles that will inform a holistic and collaborative workplace design – each demonstrated by the award-winning work of Clive Wilkinson Architects. €39

Straight from the test kitchen of IKEA’s research and design lab SPACE10 comes a collection of future-proof and delicious recipes. €39

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room for growth

Ippolito Fleitz Group’s plantable partition for Brunner brings greenery into the workspace and addresses the drawbacks of the open-plan office. Words Shonquis Moreno

Part of Para Vert's modularity comes from its neutrality: the system comes in only white and lava.

Mapping out ‘neighbourhoods’, establishing complex colour schemes, varying material palettes and lighting scenarios, turning entire floors into landscapes, radically contrasting the look and content of abutting zones: Designers have been looking for increasingly creative ways to move away from the openplan office, which seems to have swallowed up the office worker, in favour of workspaces that support wellness and productivity. To that end, contract furniture manufacturer Brunner has introduced a new plantable room divider designed by interiors firm Ippolito Fleitz Group (IFG). Para Vert can be used in a plethora of contract environments – hotels, restaurants, lounges – but feels particularly valuable and easy to apply in an office setting. The sleek, plantable partition serves as a modular design element. It features pole mesh that functions much like a screen, while offering flexibility in the clever division of too-large, too-open interiors. With the Para Vert system, it is possible to create anything along the spectrum from work clusters and meeting environments to green corners, phone ‘booths’, private workstations, heads-down alcoves or inspirational areas. It can help to define and organize interiors by exploiting natural elements that also help to dampen sound and provide privacy. Based in Stuttgart, Berlin and Shanghai, IFG is well known for creating not just more human, liveable workspaces, but

Brunner x Frame

strikingly handsome, original and even stimulating offices. It's no surprise that the studio has received more than 300 international awards for interior design, product design and branding work. In this case, the IFG team worked with Brunner, a second-generation, family-owned, design-through-manufacturing German brand, to ready the partition for production. ‘We have been observing, and even furthering, a radical process of change in business models, in the organization of workplaces and in the agility of staff to respond to business and personal goals,’ says Tilla Goldberg, IFG's head of product design. ‘Para Vert is our response to all these things.’ Para Vert's integrated plantable containers allow designers or end-users to elegantly add greenery to a space, dividing not with walls but with living foliage. The system’s semi-permeable surfaces both allow light to pour through and obscure sightlines enough to establish semi-private zones. This means that, because the neutral colour of the structure allows it to recuse itself in favour of the verdure, employees find themselves in a bright forest clearing instead of among the hard, synthetic surfaces of a soul-sucking cubicle or conference room. Restrained, perhaps, in its use of colour (the system comes in only white and lava), IFG nonetheless imagined a clever modularity that actually benefits from the neutrality of the palette: Para Vert is

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Plants can amplify a sense of wellbeing, ramp up concentration levels and spark creativity

Para Vert's semi-permeable surfaces both allow light to pour through and obscure sightlines enough to establish semi-private zones.

available in three sets according to the module size desired (S, M or L) and can be installed in a variety of configurations: an L, S, U, V, Y or Z shape. Aside from protective spacers that diminish the likelihood of surface scratching, the system features grids of holes that perforate the connecting elements, which are used to form bolt connections. When the structure is assembled, round plastic containers can then be attached to curved metal poles at a 90°, 135° or 180° angle. The poles range from 190 cm to 250 cm in height and rest on unobtrusive disc bases that ensure their stability. Depending on each of the variables chosen, it's possible to range between ten and 26 containers across three or four layers and then place plant pots measuring up to Ø 21.5 x 20.5 cm (W x H) inside them, or draft them into service as a network of storage

containers, or do a combination of both. Place planters up to only a certain height or all the way up from floor to ceiling, place them along only one side or place them all around. In the design industry, it is widely agreed that plants and the responsibility of caring for them, can elevate morale, amplify a sense of wellbeing, ramp up concentration levels, spark creativity and cultivate better relationships in the workplace. All one has to do is look at them. The benefits of greenery are manifold: plants filter out and absorb toxins, produce oxygen, increase humidity, lower heating costs and decrease both noise and stress levels. And thank goodness. These days, humans need all the help we can get – and so do the plants. brunner-group.com ifgroup.org

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frame lab HOSPITALITY The advent of overtourism has left many of the world's top destinations in a state of crisis, to the detriment of both locals, visitors and the environment. Holiday makers are eager for an alternative, one that lets them experience unique locations without sacrificing either their comfort or the health of local ecosystems. In response, hospitality innovators are creating designled solutions that let guests range both more widely and more responsibly.Â

Four ways hospitality developers open up new territories to tourists Words Peter Maxwell

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Few will argue with the axiom that travel ‘broadens the mind’ – indeed, international tourist numbers have jumped from 166 million in 1970 to 1.4 billion in 2018 (World Tourism Organization). But does that still hold true in a travel market that’s become concentrated on a small number of destinations? A 2018 report by McKinsey predicted that the world’s top-20 destinations would add as many visitors over the following two years as all others combined. While many profess to wanting new experiences, it appears that’s only if it’s an experience that has been validated by several thousands of our peers. Overtourism, as this phenomena is known, has prompted some leading global destinations to take steps to actively dissuade visitors. Places such as Barcelona, Venice, Bali and our home base in Amsterdam are now implementing means to deflect tourists and reduce their numbers, despite the massive benefits they bring in terms of revenue. The downsides, which include environmental degradation, crime spikes, drains on public services and a general worsening of quality of life standards for inhabitants, have simply become too much to bear. What’s more, little of that economic benefit appears to travel beyond city limits. A recent report by The World Travel and Tourism Council shows that city trips have become an increased focus for travellers, with the top 73 cities visited gaining $691 billion from direct travel and tourism, 25 per cent of the entire sector’s GDP. But the study also shows that those visitors rarely travelled to, and spent money in, other locations in the same country. The drivers are easy to understand but complex to overcome. The advent of budget air travel has

been predicated on the establishments of a hyper-efficient infrastructure that funnels travellers towards the most profitable hubs. At the same time, social media have magnified a small number of aesthetically impactful locations to the exclusion of all others, a set of trophies to be added to the world traveller’s digital cabinet. There are signs that consumer mood is shifting, however. A 2019 survey conducted by agency MMGY Global found that 60 per cent of US travellers believe that overcrowding will directly impact where they choose to spend their holidays over the next decade. Meanwhile, countries such as Iceland are investing in information campaigns that show tourists the wealth of interesting sites beyond their muchtramped capitals and a few adjacent natural wonders. But if the sector is to spread tourism more evenly, it’s going to have to find ways to host guest in as yet largely untapped locations. Hospitality projects that offer access to such extreme, remote or inaccessible areas have existed for decades. Yet they have often paid little heed to the damage setting down in an otherwise unspoilt environment does to that ecosystem, or have been ignorant of the needs of the local community. This is, to a large extent, a design challenge, and one the industry has increasingly been rising to meet. A new generation of hospitality developments is learning how to step more lightly on the land, to the benefit of local plant, animal and human life. Here we unpack four design tactics that are helping open up new territories to a wide range of tourists, all while being a benefit rather than a burden to their host contexts.

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TEMPORARY

Designed by Ora Ïto for hotel giant Accor, Flying Nest is a system of 12-m2 stackable and connectable shipping containers. The mobile and self-sufficient units can be placed anywhere, and taken away without leaving a trace.

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Sometimes responsible architecture is a question of time as well as space. Temporary structures can create unique hospitality experiences that exist for just a few weeks or days before – if well managed – leaving without a trace. This is the concept French hotel giant Accor is pursuing with its Flying Nest project. Based on a 12-m2 shipping container that’s entirely self-sufficient, Flying Nest can aggregate as many units as needed by the group it’s serving (or can be supported by the terrain). As it requires no external services to operate, the system requires minimal ground work and can be placed functionally anywhere, from cold to hot climates. Devised by French designer Ora ïto, each container features a living-cum-sleeping area and private bathroom and is connected to neighbouring units by a series of terraces. Thus far, they’ve travelled to Rencontres d’Arles photography festival and the Agora biennial art festival in Bordeaux, as well as to the Avoriaz ski resort. Reactivating places that have since been abandoned but still retain usable infrastructure is another viable tactic. SB Architects’ Infinite Explorer concept, one of three shortlisted finalists for the 2019 Radical Innovation Awards, proposed repurposing part of America’s disused rail network to bring hospitality to some of the country’s most remote locations. A specially designed train would function as a mobile hotel, able to stop at any desired location to provide high-quality amenities in a wilderness setting, while helping to reconnect isolated communities. Transporting guests and accommodations to remote locations can carry a cost premium, of course, but this can be positive when aligned with conservation efforts. Luxury Action, a new travel venture launched by Janne Honkanen, promotes itself as the most northerly hotel in the world. The North Pole Igloos hotel consists of a series of ten glass-enclosed igloos that will be placed on the Arctic ice each April, disappearing again before the summer melt. At a cost of €95,000 per person, it’s not a holiday feasible to many, but there could arguably be a benefit in taking some of the world’s most influential people to the heart of one of its most endangered ecosystems. Honkanen told Forbes that all of Luxury Action’s guests are concerned about the relationship between the Arctic and the climate crisis. He also called them the ‘best messengers’ to spread the word about how climate change affects people, animals and nature in the Arctic.

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Courtesy of Flying Nest

Courtesy of Stilt Studios

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PREFAB

Stilt Studios, a business initiative of Bali-based architect Alexis Dornier, develops prefabricated and easily relocatable units that can be inserted into the wilderness on raised supports, thus ensuring minimal impact on the terrain.

One of the main barriers to building viable hospitality projects in remote locations is access. Transporting machinery, materials and manpower makes such interventions prohibitively expensive and ecologically invasive. The solution? Build off site. While prefabrication has traditionally been the focus of the residential sector, it’s playing an increasing role in hospitality’s aspirations to move off-grid. Bali-based architect Alexis Dornier’s new venture, Stilt Studios, is based precisely on this concept. The business develops prefabricated units that can be inserted into the wilderness on raised supports that ensure minimum impact on the terrain. They are also designed to be easily relocatable. Local market conditions were key to the genesis of the concept. The prevalence of short-term leasehold plots means buildings often have a limited lifespan, which requires economically and ecologically unsustainable cycles of demolition and rebuilding. Being a top destination, Bali is also feeling the pressure of overtourism. There’s an urgent need to find ways to encourage visitors to stay in some of its less well-known island communities. Sustainability drives many of the central design decisions for the units, with Stilt Studios planning to use predominantly cross-laminated timber construction (see page 26). They will also benefit from cross ventilation, rainwater harvesting and solar panel arrays. What Stilt Studio hopes to do for Bali’s coastline, start-up Baumbau aims to do for Europe’s forests. The tiny-home manufacturer has recently released plans for modular accommodation system called Bert, designed by Austrian architect Studio Precht. These modern treehouses are based on a kit of tubular parts that – integrating bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens and social spaces – accommodates guests’ any needs. Arranged in branch-like formations, the kit’s parts weave around trees without imposing on the surrounding environment. ‘We believe that the future of tourism is not in large hotels and mass tourism, but rather in special buildings that offer a unique experience. With Bert, we cater to the people who seek adventure, nature and inspiration,’ says Rudolf Obauer, CEO of Baumbau.

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Courtesy of Studio Precht

Tiny-home start-up Baumbau tasked Austrian Studio Precht to design a modular accommodation system. The resulting kit of tubular parts, called Bert, can be used to create modern treehouses in branchlike formations.

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IN SITU

OPPOSITE The bungalows that comprise Mozambique’s luxury resort Kisawa Sanctuary will include 3D-printed components made using a sand-andseawater mortar drawn from the surrounding beaches.

Building on site should not always be a deterrent however, especially where there is an opportunity to take advantage of local materials and craft traditions. Kisawa Sanctuary, a luxury resort due to open this year on Benguerra Island, just off the East Coast of Mozambique, has literally appeared out of the ground. The development mixes new technology with more ancient forms of manufacturing. The bungalows that make up the resort contain components that have been 3D-printed using a sand-and-seawater mortar drawn from the surrounding beaches, before being fitted with Mozambican weaving, thatching, carpentry and textiles. ‘We’ve used design as a tool, not as a style, to ensure Kisawa is integrated, culturally and environmentally to Mozambique,’ developer and entrepreneur Nina Flohr tells GQ. A similar symbiosis of old and new was employed in the creation of a series of holiday villas by Belgian practices Polo Architects and Going East on the rugged, windswept terrain of São Vicente, in Cape Verde. The beautiful rocky landscape is thus far little visited by tourists, who could be vital to reenergizing the local economy and its community of artisans. ‘The last thing we wanted to construct here was this alienating type of luxury holiday enclave in a relatively poor country,’ says Polo Architects founder Patrick Lootens. As such, the 12 contemporary villas for Barefoot Luxury are outfitted internally with locally made furniture and decorative items purchased from the markets of the local town, Mindelo. Crucially, each is clad in block work made from local stone that matches the colour and patterns of the surrounding cliffs. The result is a trompe l’oeil effect that sees their angular forms completely absorbed into the landscape.

PAGE 164 In Cape Verde, Belgian practices Polo Architects and Going East clad a series of holiday villas in local stone, making them blend into the surrounding landscape. PAGE 165 The 12 contemporary villas for Barefoot Luxury are outfitted with locally made furniture and decorative items purchased from local markets.

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The Boundary

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Francisco Nogueira

LAND MARK

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Sometimes a more interventionist approach is necessary, however, especially where there’s a need to spotlight an overlooked area in order to generate greater understanding of its conditions. When this can be done in a way that works with the environment, the creation of landmarks – beacons that suddenly make a location visible – can be vital. This has become an increasingly prevalent strategy in China, a nation trying to redress the health of both its countryside and the rural populations that live there. The Woodhouse Hotel, located in the isolated village of Tuanjie in China’s Guizhou Provence, is one of the first results of a government policy designed to bring agricultural tourism to impoverished farming communities. Ten wooden cabins, designed by native practice ZJJZ Atelier, cover a wooded hillside overlooking the village. Their simple forms – either pitched, mono-pitched or flat depending on size – are covered in charred timber that blends into the surroundings, and raised on steel platforms to minimize disturbance to the forest ecology. For a country that has seen the largest urban migration in history, and that remains the world’s biggest polluter, these sorts of initiatives could help reconnect the population with the idea that they can be stewards of nature, rather than exploiters. In Europe, one practice in particular has been leading the development of environmentally conscious projects that act to transform locations into destinations. Snøhetta’s Svart Hotel (which we covered in Frame 124) sits adjacent to Svartisen glacier in Norway’s far north. Guests will be encouraged to explore the adjacent fjord, forage for their dinner on the surrounding mountain slopes and book climbing expeditions up the glacier itself. Svart will also be the first energy-positive hotel inside the Arctic Circle, requiring 85 per cent less power than a traditional hotel of a similar scale. Guests will be able to discover the science and technology behind the hotel’s construction in an on-site design laboratory, while engineers will continue to work on site after its 2022 launch with the aim to take the hotel completely off-grid within five years of operation. The firm has also recently completed Under, Europe’s first underwater restaurant, near the remote village of Båly, also in Norway. The 0.5-m-thick curved concrete walls provide ample protection for up to 40 diners. While not a material usually associated with environmentally sensitive projects, the concrete has an intentionally rough-textured finish that will help transform it into an artificial mussel reef over time. Out of hours, the building will transform into a marine laboratory to study fish behaviour.

Frame Lab

Ivar Kvaal

Designed by SnĂ¸hetta and located in Norway, Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first underwater restaurant features 0.5-m-thick curved concrete walls that will turn into an artificial mussel reef over time.

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How will hospitality operate off site?

In the lead-up to each issue, we challenge emerging designers to respond to the Frame Lab theme with a forward-looking concept. Remote travel destinations are growing in popularity as consumers increasingly seek exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime experiences. But how do you offer hospitality in uncharted environments? Three emerging designers share their ideas. Words Floor Kuitert 168

Frame Lab

Composed of powdered supplements, dehydrated vegetables and compact cooking equipment, Jisun Kim’s travel package enables visitors of uncharted destinations to become self-sufficient.

Jisun Kim’s portable cooking kit fuels adventurers

Access to typical food suppliers is rare at uncharted travel destinations. You came up with a solution. JK: Yes, I dreamed up a compact, portable package with dry ingredients and cooking utensils that travellers can take on their journeys. Protein intake may be insufficient at locations with limited access to regular food supplies. The powders I propose – made from lab-grown or plant-based meat, and edible insects – will function as supplements. Dehydrated vegetables, in turn, can be used as a snack or incorporated in soups or stews. And various flavour-enhancing spices will be included in the package, too. It’s all about finding a balance between taste and nutrition. To ensure the health of the traveller, each package will be tailored to the individual’s physical condition. Why do you suggest the use of lab-grown foods and meat substitutes to create the powder supplements? There’s not enough farmland and livestock to sustain the world’s ever-increasing population. Therefore we need to find alternatives for the traditional farming industries. I foresee that the consumption of synthetic foods will grow in the future, and I believe customized supplements will improve personalized diets. What about the natural resources available on site? Will travellers be

The Challenge

able to combine them with your dried ingredients? My portable cooking set will be accompanied by an app that provides a list of ingredients that can be sourced locally at the traveller’s destination, as well as simple cooking instructions. The app adds an element of play. It sends users on a quest for seasonal ingredients, as if they are carrying out a mission in a game. Once all components of the chosen dish are gathered, they can be prepared using the cooking tools and seasoning powders from my package. In a way the concept also functions as an alternative travel guide since it teaches users about the natural environment they are visiting. How will you limit the impact the user of your travel kit will have on the environment? Packaging will be made of bioplastics and other biobased materials. In addition, I will include a portable solar panel that can generate the energy required to power the set’s small induction hob and the device hosting the app.

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lalalajisun.com

With a Bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from Seoul’s Sookmyung Women’s University and five years of professional experience at WGNB in her pocket, South Korean multidisciplinary designer Jisun Kim is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in product and furniture design at Kingston University London.

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Designed to host three to four guests, SF-SO’s fully equipped and self-sustaining hospitality units are dropped off by drones and inflated on site.

SF-SO delivers hospitality by drone What were your first thoughts when pondering this challenge? JAEHOON JUNG: When Hoyoung Joo, with whom I cofounded design studio SF-SO, and I were approached to explore future possibilities for remote lodging, we wanted to take responsibility as designers and minimize the negative impact hospitality spaces can have on the natural environment. What do you suggest? HOYOUNG JOO: To make the most of modern technology and use cargo drones to deliver inflatable prefab housing units to locations preselected by travellers. Cargo drones are very suitable for this, because they are able to ascend and descend vertically and can thus do their drop-offs in more off-grid locations. And because the units will be picked up and returned to their distribution centre afterwards, their impact is limited. What inspired your idea? JJ: The idea of the cluster housing units is inspired by the Dymaxion house conceived by Buckminster Fuller. The late architect challenged existing homebuilding techniques by designing factory-manufactured and resource-efficient kits with which houses could be assembled on site. An important consideration of the design was ease of shipment

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and assembly. The units could be clustered like a small town, and be mass produced. What will your units look like, after being transported and popped up? JJ: They are box-shaped and have four hooks at the top for easy transportation. Each cuboid is approximately 1.5 m wide and 2 m high and made of aluminium for strength and durability. It will comprise two inflatable modules made of very light and durable polyester. Their shells are waterproof and composed using TPU sealing. HJ: When the housing unit is dropped at its destination, the traveller can open a lever on the side of the unit. This lever helps to open a front and rear door at the same time and activates the air compressor inside the unit, allowing it to inflate both soft shells. Necessities are stored between the shells, including a freshwater tank, a heating system to control room temperature and food supplies. What do the inflatable spaces contain? JJ: They are fully equipped, self-sustaining and designed for three to four guests. One houses the basic residential facilities for sleeping, relaxing and dining, the other is home to the toilet and shower. By separating the rest area

Frame Lab

from the restroom, guests can easily distinguish each space. The furniture is built in and will expand along with the rest of the module when inflated. Other than picking up the units after a guest’s stay, how do you limit their footprint? HJ: For one, we suggest that our guests don’t cook their own meals in the unit, in order to reduce food waste and environmental pollution, and to avoid irritating wild animals. Similar to an airline’s meal system, travellers will be provided with a well-thought-out meal plan based on their length of stay. The meals will be dropped off with the unit by the cargo drone, and guests can easily heat them up in the built-in oven. JJ: And all garbage will be collected in a built-in tank, so there’s no rubbish left on site. sf-so.com

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Cofounded by Jaehoon Jung and Hoyoung Joo, SF-SO is an industrial design practice based in San Francisco and Seoul. In addition to running the studio, Jung works at Yves Béhar’s Fuseproject, while Joo started his career at LG Electronics and now codirects the consultancy Intenxiv.

Cargo drone with housing unit

Housing unit 1 2 3 4 5

Front inflatable module Housing unit Front door / storage Rear door / solar panel Rear inflatable module

Inside housing unit 1 Front door 2 Compressed front inflatable module 3 Meal storage 4 Compressed rear inflatable module 5 Rear door 5 Fresh water tank 7 Battery pack 8 Sewage tank

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June Tong powers remote communities with cruise waste

You have noticed a rise in the desire for transformative experiences . . . JT: Yes, and the experience economy has contributed to this trend. Particularly in privileged Western cultures, mass production – and thus the ease with which people can purchase and obtain material possessions – has made the pursuit to accumulate objects less appealing. Now it’s the intangible gathering of memories and adventures – something I call the ‘neo-spiritual quest for stories’, which are then promoted on social media – that’s become the channel for self-fulfilment and happiness. We seek ‘conversational assets’ for status, to distinguish ourselves from, and impress, our peers. So where does the topic of ‘remote hospitality’ come in? The hospitality industry offering remote experiences simultaneously validates and capitalizes upon this pursuit for exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime adventures. Cruise tourism in particular enables mass audiences to reach otherwise inaccessible places in complete comfort and luxury. But when a cruise ship arrives at port and passengers disembark, there’s a sudden deluge within a very short timeframe. Crowds can catalyse the decline of delicate natural environments and fragile ecosystems. At the same time, this mass tourism erodes traditional cultures and disrupts economic balance, all while the cruise ship itself deposits vast quantities of waste and pollution out of guests’ sight.

Aiming to ensure a more sustainable tourism industry, June Tong suggests port-side energy recovery systems that repurpose the waste from cruise ships to benefit host communities.

How do you think design can help solve this problem? I question how design can become a tool to expose the self-perpetuating problem caused by this indulgent experiential tourism. I envision that one temporary solution can be an energy strategy that transforms abundant waste into a commodity. Every day, an average-sized cruise ship of 3,000 guests is predicted to release 95,000 litres of sewage, 540,000 litres of greywater, 7 tonnes of garbage and solid waste, 57 litres of toxic chemicals and 26,500 litres of oily bilge water: but

The Challenge

what if these vast volumes of deposited cruise waste could become a new, free and abundant source of power for the communities living along the ship’s route? Many remote, isolated communities struggle to source a constant and reliable stream of energy. How would it work? Waste would be meticulously pre-sorted and categorized on board – taking advantage of the arrival of the cruise ship, relevant solid waste could be delivered directly into a port-side energy recovery system. This system could then repurpose the cruise ship waste otherwise destined for landfill to be used to produce power in the host community. Rather than being lost, excess process heat would be transported to cooperatively owned local facilities such as destination spas and other small ventures. This would encourage the locally led growth of a more sustainable tourist industry. Is this a means to regulate cruisers’ trips? Absolutely. The guests’ experiences become regulated and framed by their waste output. The proposal promotes the less wasteful and financially advantageous model of long-stay tourism – it deters the exorbitance of cruise travels by limiting the access and facilities available during tourists’ ‘brief encounters’, ultimately benefitting the host community. Why such restrictions? We need to revaluate the general attitude towards the experience economy and the whole industry around it. It will be necessary in the future to limit the expansion of destructive mass tourism to ensure the protection of remote environments from further anthropogenic deterioration.

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June Tong holds a Master’s degree in Architecture from London’s Royal College of Art. In her thesis she explored how design can expose cruise guests to the sheer wastefulness of the travel industry, and how waste can be reconsidered as an integral part of the cruise experience.

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toolkit for remote hospitality Illustrations Simon Flöter

BECOME A TRUE TRAVEL BRAND It’s hard for hotel brands that are reliant on fixed infrastructure to offer explorationhungry guests a truly different experience year after year. Instead of investing in another new development, hospitality innovators are increasingly looking at how they can meet customers when and where they want to go.

THINK IN TERMS OF TOUCHDOWNS There’s a positive correlation between how much building work can be completed off site, environmental sustainability and quality control. Add in the fact that prefabrication allows you to quite literally drop projects into exotic locations with limited access, and it’s a win-win. 174

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EMPOWER CRAFT COMMUNITIES Developing properties in under-exposed locations can benefit many parties, particularly if you take advantage of local creative and material resources. This doesn’t mean being restricted to vernacular architecture, however: many of the most exciting projects mix technology and tradition.

BUILD A LIVING LAB Providing accommodations in some of the world’s most remote ecosystems can open up frontiers for both science and tourism. Consider including facilities for researchers to use such projects to better their, and your guests’, understanding of our increasingly fragile planet. Toolkit

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With the experience of:

call for entries May 2020 simonprize.org @simonprize

@simon_prize

simon architecture prize 2020

market 178 Discover the latest product releases (despite fair cancellations) 186 EuroShop exhibitors advance adaptivity in retail 188 Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair participants recycle materials and reduce noise 192 Sanctuary-like chairs humanize the experience of giving birth

MOOOI CARPETS MONSTER CARPET This year brings a build-out of Moooi’s Monster line: new designs by Marcel Wanders include the Monster table, an expansion of the Monster Chairs product range and Moooi Carpets’ Monster Carpet. The playful round rug – available in different sizes – depicts a graphic, multicoloured creature. moooicarpets.com

DURAVIT LUV To evoke Scandinavian lifestyle ideals in the bathroom, Duravit and Danish designer Cecilie Manz imagined a minimalist set. Crafted with an emphasis on gentle forms and harmonious hues, the Luv wash bowl series in particular has recently grown to include new natural colour combinations with the Almond Satin Matt tone and a larger range of sizes. The matching mirrors have been upgraded as well. duravit.com

NARDI FOLIO Embracing. Structural. Refined. These are all words that describe Folio, an armchair created by Raffaello Galiotto for Italian outdoor furniture brand Nardi. Made from a sheet of perforated fibreglass resin, the design has two iterations: one with a fixed base, the other a rocking version. Simple reclining mechanisms and soft internal padding make for an effortless, relaxing lounging experience. nardioutdoor.com

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ANDREU WORLD NUEZ OUTDOOR Patricia Urquiola’s Andreu World seating collection Nuez Outdoor brings sophistication to exterior environments. Building upon an interior range of the same name, the outdoor chairs can be selected with either a sustainable four-legged teak base or a specially treated metal sled base. For added comfort, users can fit the soft-coloured seats with removable cushions. andreuworld.com

FAST RIA Lightweight, stackable and produced in 14 hues, Fast’s Ria chair is a match for both residential and contract settings. Designer Alberto Lievore took inspiration from the Galician coast and Norwegian fjords while drafting the silhouette of the die-cast aluminium body. Eventually this premier model – made complete with fabric or eco-leather cushions – will be supplemented with other variants that maximize Ria’s versatility. fastspa.com

SIMON LOOP A sleek body composed of a circular shape and a rectangular plane, Loop is a geometric fixture that imbues each space with a unique atmosphere whether installed as an individual unit or in a group. The luminaire – part of Simon’s architectural lighting range Fluvia – was designed by Antoni Arola and demonstrates a contemporary take on the use of OLED technology. simonelectric.com

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ROCA SMART SHOWER Ease of use is synonymous with Roca’s high-tech Smart Shower. With a simple, intuitive interface, thermostatic technology that keeps water temperature at a constant, a comprehensive cleaning programme, water- and energy-saving mechanisms and a child protection lock, the shower promises safety, sustainability and utmost hygiene for all users. roca.com

PIAVAL PIPE CHAIR Design studio Garcia Cumini looked to the ancient symbolism of the pipe to conceptualize a sinuous chair for Piaval. Pipe – available in beech, ash or walnut wood – has an implicit lightness, with a total absence of beams and a ring that simultaneously separates and joins the back leg of the seat to the element that supports the softly curved backrest. piaval.it

KRISKADECOR GRADIENT Metal art manufacturer Kriskadecor has expanded its pattern catalogue with the Gradient Collection, a series of designs by Luis Eslava. Studying the hue transitions between pure colours and the tones between white and black, Eslava proposed eight customizable variants that can be applied to aluminium chain space dividers, wallcoverings and more. kriskadecor.com

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JUNG SCHUKO Sockets with USB connections and the company’s Quick Charge functionalities, Jung’s Schuko devices are well-placed anywhere smartphones or tablets need an energy top-up. The Jung Quick Charge version has an output of up to 18 Watts and can charge an iPhone 11, for example, in just 105 minutes – this iteration can be fitted with a USB A or C socket; the alternative Schuko electrical solution features both. jung.de

Alexander Ring

GANDIA BLASCO SOLANAS CHAISE LONGUE Argentinian architect Daniel Germani developed the outdoor furniture collection Solanas for Gandia Blasco. A sculptural chaise longue is one of an array of new additions to the product family. Its structure, like all of the Solanas pieces, is made of aluminium: thermo-lacquered welded profiles and microperforated sheets. A water-repellent seat makes the chaise ready for poolside relaxing. gandiablasco.com

VONDOM FRAME TABLE Sharply linear in its construction, Vondom’s Frame collection is informed by elementary geometry. Designer Ramón Esteve and Vondom aimed to help users create serene and timeless shapes in their outdoor environments. The Frame aluminium tables, lacquered with a black or white finish, are constructed in a variety of sizes. What’s more? They’re fit for indoor use, too. vondom.com

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Giovanni Zampiga

CORRADI IMAGO With its latest project, Italian company Corradi wanted to go beyond the idea of developing another outdoor product – architectural structure Imago, rather, is a space to be lived in. Three versions of the self-sufficient solution – Gourmet, Feeling Good and Dreaming – enable a user to create a functional kitchen, wellness or bedroom area outdoors, pushing the boundaries of the exterior. corradi.eu

SUNBRELLA X MAIORI LA LAMPE PETITE Providing illumination in interiors and exteriors, La Lampe Petite has an unparalleled solar energy conversion ratio. A product from lighting company Maiori and performance fabric leader Sunbrella, the easy-to-carry lamp shines for up to nine hours after a full day in normal sunlight. The hybrid module also has Bluetooth capability, rendering activation and programming seamless. sunbrella.com maiori.com

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TON GRAND SLAM Combining Ton’s signature bent backrest and a light plywood seat, the Grand Slam pairing – a chair and barstool – is the result of a collaboration with product designer Alexander Gufler. Gufler and Ton’s technically impressive construction lends itself to three variations of the two furnishings: a smooth version with no upholstery, one with an upholstered seat and another with an upholstered backrest. ton.eu

RAK CERAMICS RAK-VALET A conceptual bathroom collection created by Patrick Norguet for Rak Ceramics, Rak-Valet sets the stage for spaces that envelop a visitor in reflective surfaces – of ink, light and matter. Planned to be launched in a Salone del Mobile 2020 installation [postponed at the time of publication] entitled Black Ink Water, Rak-Valet celebrates the 30th anniversary of Rak Ceramics. rakceramics.com

ARIOSTEA FRAGMENTA FULL BODY Featuring a compact structure with a grey-blue background, contrasting tone-on-tone elements and pebbles of different sizes, Ariostea’s striking Fragmenta Full Body tiles take cues from natural stone. Three 10-mm-thick surfaces – Soft, Levigato Lucidato and Strutturato – are manufactured in three sizes: 120 x 60, 60 x 60 and 60 x 30 cm, allowing for infinite solutions in many different settings. ariostea-high-tech.com

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RODA THEA A two-seater sofa, round-top coffee tables in two sizes and an armchair comprise Thea, a lounge collection by Roda. The outdoor and garden furniture manufacturer enlisted the expertise of hospitality designer Adam D. Tihany to devise the inviting system. Taking its name from the South American plant Calathea, the aluminiumframed, traditionally finished collection reflects shapes found in nature. rodaonline.com

COVERLAM BY GRESPANIA ARLES Made possible by lamination pressing technology, Coverlam’s large-format, thin technical porcelain tiles are created using natural raw materials. The Grespania brand introduces Arles, a warm sandstone tile with a natural finish. Arles’ palette embodies shades of white, grey and sand – a harmonious earth-tone composition ideal for applications from façades to indoor flooring. coverlambygrespania.com

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NEOLITH CALACATTA LUXE Striations of dark grey, inky blue, tobacco brown and subtle gold punctuate Calacatta Luxe, a bright white Sintered Stone surface from Neolith. The slabs – inspired by Carrara marble – are based on a model stone sourced from a quarry in Tuscany. Resistant and hygienic to Neolith’s standard, the high-performance Calacatta Luxe surfaces can be installed anywhere from the kitchen to the swimming pool. neolith.com

PEDRALI SOUL SOFT Breathing new life into a Pedrali armchair developed by Catalan designer Eugeni Quitllet, Soul Soft was born from design research on form and material. Echoing the curves and lines of the first armchair, Soul Soft accentuates and enhances its comfort. Framed by solid ash wood, an ergonomic polycarbonate seat embraces upholstery in leather or fabric. pedrali.it

POLIFORM WESTSIDE Jean-Marie Massaud and Poliform had an ambitious goal with the multifunctional Westside system: reinvent the experience of the living room. Users can freely compose the padded modules of the seamless cottonand-feather upholstered sofa, configuring the set to their any need. Elements include a chaise longue, movable backrest and coffee tables. poliform.it

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EUROSHOP

Lars Normann

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE DÜSSELDORF RETAIL TRADE FAIR

GRID SYSTEMS GRID Architectural interior system Grid helps designers and users to make the most out of retail and exhibition spaces. Danish company Grid System’s lightweight modules can be installed in various combinations and easily rearranged to make structures that bring together functions including display, organization and seating. Add-on components such as hangers, pinboards and plant boxes maximize Grid’s utility. gridsystem.dk

ZUMTOBEL VIVO II An answer to the need for adaptive lighting as retail goes experiential, Zumbotel’s Vivo II product family was developed in collaboration with Austrian design studio EOOS. The multifunctional range of luminaires offers three different optical systems that present specific benefits for various applications areas. Vivo II’s high-tech modules have been expanded with eight spectrums tailored to the retail industry. zumtobel.com

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HANS BOODT MANNEQUINS CREATING CHARACTERS For the 20th iteration of EuroShop, the Hans Boodt Mannequins team conceptualized a curated experience that introduced visitors to the full scope of their service. Three collections were shown at the mannequin designer and producer’s stand: Muse, Sport and its newest, Untitled. The bold cubeshaped display space incorporated juxtaposing geometries and materials, imagined as a tactile, transparent environment. hansboodtmannequins.com

CLEAF PAGLIA Studio Bestetti Associati was responsible for designing Italian company Cleaf’s first-ever stand at EuroShop, The Italian Retail Landscape. Divided into four freestanding metal frame displays entitled Fashion, Food, Furniture and Future, the space highlighted each innovative Cleaf surface. One in particular was Paglia, a texture characterized by an endless series of parallel vertical lines. Paglia is part of the new 27-product Cleaf presented by Egger collection.

Anneke Mak

cleaf.it

PYRASIED Eco-friendly materials were the spotlight of Pyrasied’s EuroShop presentation this year. The company, which produces acrylic and design plastics, worked with Dutch practice Noman Studio to create a stand that made the material the ‘absolute hero’. Inspired by the female body, the trade fair space centred on Pyrasied’s 100 per cent recycled acrylic, full-colour Greencast collection. pyrasied.nl

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STOCKHOLM FURNITURE & LIGHTING FAIR TOP PICKS FROM SCANDINAVIA'S LEADING DESIGN SHOW

BOLON ART OF PERFORMANCE Visitors to SFF 2020 were invited to reimagine the possibilities of flooring at Bolon’s Snarkitecture-designed booth, entitled Art of Performance. The Swedish company enlisted the New York-based practice to develop a labyrinth-like spatial experience highlighting the artistic qualities of its woven surfacing. Snarkitecture’s hypnotic architectural setup led people through multiple rooms where they could test and interact with the products. bolon.com snarkitecture.com

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LAMMHULTS TEIUS Modular bench-sofa Teius is the result of X-Works 2.0, a competition held by Scandinavian brand Lammhults and several design schools. Designer Andrés Nilson became one of five challenge winners with the furnishing concept – modifiable through the introduction of connecting tables, armrests, high tables and electrical solutions, Teius can transform public settings such as airports, lobbies and waiting rooms. lammhults.se

EGE CARPETS A NEW WAVE Abandoned fishing nets litter the ocean. But up-andcoming designers Laura Bilde and Linnea Ek Blæhr – together Séché Studio – have realized a promising new use for the discarded material: carpeting. Bilde and Ek Blæhr designed A New Wave for Ege Carpets, a collection with three largescale pattern designs. Launched at SFF 2020, the tactile surfacing is woven from Econyl yarn made from the nets. Used PET bottles are recycled into its patented Ecotrust backing. egecarpets.com

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Mårten Ryner

ABSTRACTA DB PILLAR A pioneer in acoustic furniture and display systems, Abstracta aims to always create better soundscapes. The most recent addition to their offer is dB Pillar, a line by Thomas Bernstrand that includes noise-reducing tables, stools and pillars in mixed heights. The furnishings fall in line with Abstracta’s circular vision, too: the structures are filled with textile waste from the company’s factory. abstracta.se

KVADRAT DUOTONE One colour for weft, one colour for warp: Duotone, a collection of hand-woven rugs designed by Hella Jongerius for Kvadrat, plays up complimentary contrasts. The technique used to weave the Duotone rugs nods to that of Kvadrat’s iconic basket-woven textile Hallingdal. Jongerius selected shades that might otherwise be in opposition for the range, which boasts 20 colours. kvadrat.dk

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CARL HANSEN & SØN BM1771 AND BM1871 The design legacy of influential 20th-century furniture creator Børge Mogensen lives on, with an outdoor set reworked for modern sensibilities by Carl Hansen & Søn. The Mogensen-designed teak table (BM1771) and bench (BM1871) were originally released in the 1960s and 1970s – now, they feature collapsible construction and practical wall mounts. The solid, untreated wood is FSC-certified, and upholstery in Sunbrella fabric is an option.

Marco Covi

carlhansen.com

ARPER DUNA 02 ECO Italian furnishing company Arper worked with designer Lievore Altherr Molina to develop the Greenguard Gold-certified Duna 02 Eco chair. Its plastic shell is made from 80 per cent recycled post-industrial material and its base is comprised of four wooden legs. ‘Where possible we integrate new recycling methods into our work,’ says a spokesperson, ‘and offer products made in part from recycled materials.’ arper.com

KINNARPS X BECKMANS EVY HERO Swedish institutions Beckmans College of Design and HDK-Valand Academy of Art collaborated with Kinnarps to create two pieces to be displayed in SFF’s Greenhouse, a dedicated exhibition area for up-and-coming designers. For Beckmans’ exhibition Epilogue – A Love Story, students Sinar Alexis and Rasmus Steyner Randen devised EVY Hero, a seat that serves as a natural meeting place and place for gathering. Its intersecting form is inspired by Kinnarps’ logo. kinnarps.com

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SPECIAL DELIVERY

Aiming to humanize the experience of giving birth – for the mum-to-be, partner and new-born – RCA graduate Stiliyana Minkovska conceived Ultima Thule. The collection of sanctuary-like chairs supports the different stages of child delivery – and promotes privacy and inclusivity while at it. Words Floor Kuitert

10+ hospitals – both public and private – were involved in Minkovska’s research, including her place of birth in Bulgaria and London’s St Thomas’ Hospital, where her daughter was born in 2016.

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was when Minkovska’s residency at the Design Museum kicked off, resulting in Ultima Thule. She received positive responses from many of the midwives, doulas and pregnant women among the museum’s 20,000 weekly visitors.

chairs cater for the phases of childbirth: one accommodates optimal delivery postures, another has space for a partner at the back, while the third allows new mums to recover in privacy.

s ound designer – Laura Selby, who contributed a custom, calming soundtrack – was involved in the project. m ain colours are in the custom lighting palette developed by UK-based LED Flex to empower mothers during childbirth. Hues change over time and in response to music.

out of the 25 people Minkovska interviewed about their experiences with childbirth said they needed more privacy in order to truly focus on the delivery.

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stiliyanaminkovska.com

In Numbers

Felix Speller, courtesy of the Design Museum

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