Ask a child what their favorite subject is at school, and chances are
they’ll say recess. It’s the one time during the day when they are
almost absolutely free to make decisions for themselves – from who to
play with, what to play, and where to play. And as children grow, the
social dynamics of who can play where shifts and an age-based pecking
order ensues.
The Netherlands-based design team at Carve integrate
architectural expression into their playground design thereby
generating unique play experiences for children of all ages. Don’t let
the kids know, however that the Carve team strives to encourage a
cognitive process – even during free time. This new equipment and play
structures stimulate decision-making, group and continuous play (use of
the same equipment in varying way) encouraging children to climb, hang,
swing, skate, slide, run, jump, vault, hide.
One of Crave’s creation in particular, the wall-holla, has received
special notoriety as it was nominated for the Dutch Design Awards in
2006. Thirty children at once can climb, crawl, roll and maneuver
through the large fence-like structure. Older children are able to
scale the climbing wall or just relax and look out over the domain
they’ve waited countless years to control. By Andrew J Wiener.
It isn't exactly comfy and it rattles like heck, but it’s YSL so
we’ll be duly agog. The Plexiglass vests for Yves Saint Laurent
Spring/Summer 2008 collection are the handiwork of Stefano Pilati, the
man never afraid to experiment and try something new.
The 40-plus head
designer of YSL used to be Tom Ford’s right-hand man at the YSL Rive
Gauche ready-to-wear collection. He has also designed for Giorgio
Armani and Miu Miu. We hope the plexiwear is just a Pilati thing but it
appears that — and we are not yet sure we’re going to like it — big
logos are back across brands. One more thing to endure in 2008. By Tuija Seipell
In the mid-nineteenth century, when Bavarian peddler Morris Levi
Strauss and Latvian tailor Jacob Youphes (Davis) started to create
tough work wear for California coal miners from “denim” cotton imported
from the Provençal city of Nimes, they had no idea how far and wide
denim’s popularity would reach.
Most certainly they could not have imagined the veritable Versailles
created late this fall solely for the purpose of displaying denim in
the magical city of Istanbul. Located in a traditional Ottoman
building, the denim showroom was designed by New Zealand architect
Christopher Hall.
The showroom’s best feature is the lighting created by Beirut, Lebanon-based, PSLAB. The
firm of 40 designers, architects, craftsmen and engineers focuses on
researching, designing and producing custom lighting for a demanding
clientele in Europe and the Middle East.
At the Istanbul denim showroom, PSLAB took its inspiration from the
constraints of the old space and created an exciting environment that
also works. Custom suspended fixtures, positioned on two parallel
lines, were given long adjusting arms for directing the light where
needed. The fixtures give ideal light and look cool yet they allow the
original ornamental ceiling draw well-deserved attention. By Tuija
Seipell
Urban Garden came to be when London-based Artwise commissioned Amsterdam-based TJEP
to design an iconic object to be used in a lounge area during events
around the world. The object is part of Tribe Art, a series of
international contemporary art commissions and projects developed in
partnership with the Lucky Strike B·A·R Honda Formula One racing team.
Artwise has worked with Tribe Art for several years.
TJEP’s solution to the lounge object dilemma was Urban Garden, a
Versailles–garden inspired inflatable mega floor ornament that inspires
users to sit, hang, jump and dance. TJEP is a partnership of Dutch
designers, Frank Tjepkema and Janneke Hooymans (and others). Tjepkema
is known for his work for well-known brands such as Philips, British
Airways, Droog Design and Heineken. Hooymans’ work includes the
interior of the Unox Soup Factory and contributions to the design of
the Glasgow Science center. By Tuija Seipell
If you want your hair neat and tidy and your head covered in sensible headwear, Soren Bach
is not your choice of a stylist. However, if you want to be
ahead-of-everyone-else fashion-forward for spring 2008 with wild
headgear and crazy colours then by all means get in touch with Soren
through the London-based Frank Agency.
With Soren by your side, expect to prance about in creations that will
make Cher’s wildest get-up look lame and that will draw envious glances
from even the most hat-happy Rastafarians. Tequila sunrise helmets and
ostrich feathers rule! By Tuija Seipell
Whoever said that reading was a religious experience was right, especially when taking a visit to Selexyz
Dominicanen in Maastricht, Netherlands.
Having just won the Lensvelt de Architect Interior Prize 2007, this
newest addition to the Selexyz book chain is well worth the visit to
this medieval city if you are ever in the area.
Erected inside a former 800 year old Dominican church, this bookstore
is said to hold the largest stock of books in English in Maastricht, one
of the oldest cities in the country.
It was always going to be a challenging task for Amsterdam based architects Merkx + Girod who
designed the space, to stay true to the original character and charm of
the church, whilst also achieving a desirable amount of commercial
space (there was only an available floor area of 750 m2, with a
proposed retail space of 1200 m2). Taking advantage of the massive
ceiling, both have been achieved through the construction of a
multi-storey steel structure which houses the majority of the books.
This is one giant bookshelf, with stairs and elevators taking shoppers
and visitors alike, up to the heavens (mind the pun), to roof of the
church.
To maintain a sense of symmetrical balance in the space, lower tables
of best sellers and latest releases have been added to either side, and
of course a small cafe at the back for readers to relax and enjoy a hot
drink.
Overall a great example of how with clever thinking, spatial solutions
can both achieve a suitable retail presence, whilst still respecting
and remaining true to the original structure. By Brendan Mc Knight
Chances are if you talk to any CEO within the
traditional corporation model they will most likely agree that
productivity is primarily measured in monetary terms (i.e. profits and
margins). If numbers continually rise or remain stable, then
change within an organisation should be avoided at all costs. If,
at any time, productivity declines, the CEO will undoubtedly be the
first to take notice, and a top-down chain of events could result in
layoffs and downsizing and consequently evoke fear and panic from the
bottom up through the ranks.
But what about a change to the physical environment within which people
operate – create – innovate? Most companies adapted to the
so-called ‘open plan’ lining employees up in rows of cube-shaped spaces
essentially allowing working minds to adjust according to stimulus
created in the workplace.
Individuals who became accustomed to hiding inside their own closed off
sanctuaries were suddenly forced into listening and discussing openly
and candidly work-related problems and ideas abandoning the ability of
retreating into isolation. Those who had a difficult time
acclimating were either kicked out or discredited for not being able to
operate effectively.
During this phase in the evolution of work space design many larger
companies who could afford to do so, spent money on architecturally
impressive buildings from the outside – modern, sleek, media-attracting
structures – while simultaneously neglecting following through within
where the work generally takes shape.
The office cube became synonymous with monotonous, uninspiring highly
systematic office space. A new era of work space design was dawning,
and design professionals across the world began to seriously consider
the practices of an organisation as an essential prerequisite for
subsequent design briefs.
Jump Studios in London have made a substantial contribution to the new
generation of work spaces in their innovative design for the Red Bull
Headquarters. Ideas about work environment design centred around
feelings associated with adrenaline and energy – directly associated
with the brand itself. The offices are spread across three floors
in a nineteenth century building in the West End. Visitors are
received at the main reception from the top floor – an area that serves
as the social space for the employees complete with a bar, café,
various meeting areas as well as the central boardroom. A
continuous carbon fibre feature links the entire space together –
starting as a canopy outside the building, winding inside and around
the boardroom, through the reception area, enclosing space for an
actual slide between floors, and finally forming an additional informal
meeting area on the lowest level. This ramp-like feature is a
direct reference to the various extreme sports associated with Red Bull.
A number of projects have also been completed by the Danish company of
Bosch & Fjord that fulfill the changing needs of work space
design. One recent project saw the creation of a series of
meeting rooms, a reception area, a café and several meeting spaces for
the Lego Group in Billund, Denmark – where the majority of the world’s
Lego products are conceived, produced and manufactured. In the
hands-on world of a company such as Lego, creative talent thrive in
dynamic spaces that encourage interaction among people, products and
thought, and the Bosch & Fjord design team successfully followed
through by producing meeting rooms and furniture that truly
inspire.
And what about adaptability for the changing needs of an
organisation? Again, Bosch & Fjord believe that people should
not accommodate a room; a room should accommodate the people. In
an office, often the physical surroundings need to be shaped according
to what is happening within the company. In this sense, the
social aspect of design eliminates conventional hierarchies among
employees, and thereby enhances communal exchange and
communication. Bosch and Fjord created a furniture system for
Innovation Lab’s new space at the IT Uni in Copenhagen. Rooms are
designed within raw shipping crates that include three types of
workstations: a small meeting room, a kitchen box and a large worktable
that are packed, unpacked, arranged and rearranged with ease and
flexibility.
A new model without guidelines or conformity has been established for
work place design yielding visually interesting and mentally
stimulating environments. Steve Jobs hired Bohlin Cywinki Jackson
to design the gigantic Pixar Animation Studios outside of San Francisco
(BCJ have also designed ten Apple Stores worldwide). While Jobs
insisted on including a swimming pool, soccer field, basketball court
and fitness centre, his main concern was about the longevity of the
design.
The interior space also includes a 10,000 square foot atrium used as a
reception and lounge area, a café, screening rooms and a large
theatre. The workspaces are laid out in 46,500 square foot wings
accommodating offices for the 650-person staff. Interestingly,
office spaces are individual and fully enclosed set out in units of six
– each around a central meeting area.
The San Francisco based firm Garcia + Francica installed the fit-outs
based on Jobs’ recommendation of mid-century classics and his love of
colour. Pieces from Cassina, Ligne Roset, Eames, Aalto and
Platner can be found throughout the entire space. Perhaps the
most impressive aspect is a series of handwoven Tibetan floor coverings
that add a level of comfort to the large office areas.
Clive Wilkinson Architects, based in Los Angeles, designed the space
for Google’s headquarters – known at the Googleplex with a combination
of open and closed spaces allowing for maximum flexibility for all
members of the organisation. Employees are grouped in three or
four-person clusters - and each shared space includes a meeting area
with sofas.
Other office amenities include a fitness centre, spa complete with
massage rooms, various video and table games spread throughout the
complex as well as a full service café and snack rooms. Again
vibrant colors are splashed around the space – colored glass panels,
bright red walls, green, grass-textured flooring – all set against
white work stations.
Ultimately there seems to be no general guidelines set that reveal how
to create the perfect office environment. From the designer
perspective, it becomes apparent to understand the type of work that
will be carried out in the space, and plan accordingly. The
cookie-cutter open-plan office spaces are no longer an effective means
of stimulating creativity. Physical dimensions such as
light and surrounding noise undoubtedly affect the way people work with
one another. Even subtle alterations in the colour of a wall or
the angle of a work station may result in highly sustainable creative
thinking efforts.
Not everyone does their best work from their own desk either.
Individual work spaces may serve as an organisational area – a home
base to return after meeting with coworkers in a nearby meeting room –
or in a shared informal conference space – or even after a competitive
round of ping pong or foosball.
New and improved stimuli have only just begun to inspire a new way of working and relating to our corporate peers.
Is
your office (or one you know of) a super cool, creative space that
defies the usual drab rules that dominate most work environments? If the answer's yes, send us
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By Andrew J Weiner.
Forget about wandering through an art gallery and wondering if you’re
the only one who has no idea what anything means. Hannes Broecker
has brilliantly invited the cultural elite to grab a glass at an
exhibition in Dresden, Germany, and drink away the art.
Regardless of what we do or do not understand about art, we can all
agree, it stimulates our senses. Broecker has aroused our sense
of taste (not to mention eliminated the need of elbowing our way to the
bar) by hanging flat, glass containers with a variety of cocktails in
the exhibition space. As the night progressed, the levels of the
multi-coloured infusions diminished. By the end of the event, the
art, itself, ran dry, and empty drinking glasses were returned to where
they were originally placed. By Andrew J Wiener.
The latest unexpected fashion pairing comes from Finland’s 56-year-old design powerhouse, Marimekko, and the King of Shoes, Manolo Blahnik.
Blahnik Spring/Summer 2008 collection will include shoes in the
venerable Marimekko pattern Mini-Unikko (shoe on left).
Maija Isola designed the pattern in 1964 in protest to Marimekko’s
founder and mastermind Armi Ratia’s pronouncement that there will not
be floral patterns in Marimekko. Unikko not only melted Ms. Ratia’s
heart but it has become one of the most enduring and recognizable of
Marimekko patterns. The other Marimekko Blahnik shoes will be adorned
in the more graphic BonBon pattern.
Apparently, Blahnik had decided to base his latest collection on the
wonderful architectural lines he saw in Hagia Sophia, Turkey. He then
came upon some Marimekko fabrics in a little shop in Bath, England.
According to Blahnik, “the two just happened to fall perfectly into
place — as bizarre as that combination may sound.” To wear these
fusions of Turkish architecture and Finnish protest we will need to
wait until January 2008 when they will be available in Blahnik stores
in London and New York. By Tuija Seipell
THANK YOU
to all who voted for us and made The Cool Hunter the Best Culture
Blog at the world’s largest weblog competition, 2007 Weblog Awards
The
final results were announced on November 8, 2007, at the BlogWorld
& New Media Expo in Las Vegas. This is particularly sweet because
we came second last year. We love to beat ourselves! Thank you, thank
you, thank you!
Villa Eugénie
is an "events" company in the most impressive sense of the word. These
are not people who organize bridal showers and baby parties for minor
movie stars. For the Brussels-based team of Villa Eugénie, led by
Etienne Russo, routine means orchestrating a major runway event for a
major fashion house. And stunning everyone.
Best known for its catwalk extravaganzas, Villa Eugénie is now involved
in not just creating spectacular fashion shows, but staging major
events for luxury business in all of its forms - magazine launches,
major celebrations, and jewellery, perfume, art and opera
installations, corporate events and fairs around the world. The team
also advises major fashion brands on store concepts, stores space
searches, lighting and branding. Although based in Brussels, Villa
Eugénie operates in all major fashion and luxury centers and has a
permanent office also in Miami.
We do not envy their task of having to impress the time-hardened
fashion buyer or editor, or the celebrities that line up the runways of
the famous fashion emporiums. These events are critiqued like major
concerts or art exhibitions, and the shows themselves are as much about
drama and ever-bigger surprises as they are about the designers, or the
fashions - most of which are unwearable by mere mortals anyway.
Villa Eugénie must be doing it right. Year after year, its client list
reads like a Who is Who in the fashion world: Chanel, Dries Van Noten,
Miu Miu, Maison Martin Margiela, Lanvin, Hermès, Hugo Bosss, Sonia
Rykiel, Olivier Strelli, and the
Adidas-backed Y-3.
These are all major brands with huge production budgets. But even when
you know that sky is not the budget's limit, it is still astonishing
that the same production company can be creating several shows in one
season - all attended by the same posse of cynical seen-it-all viewers
- and not start to appear stale or formulaic. Boundless creativity and
ruthless attention to detail, both most likely still sparked for each
project by Etienne Russo himself, are the cornerstones of such a feat.
Russo started humbly in the 1980s as an artistic and creative barman at
Mirano, a fashionable nightclub in Brussels. He was soon creating major
events there and drawing serious attention. His first real fashion
client was Dries Van Noten for whom he worked as a model, salesman,
lighting engineer, cook and extraordinary producer of Van Noten's first
fashion show in Paris in 1991.
In 1995, Russo started his own production firm, naming it after the
charming villa where it was located. Since 2004, the Villa Eugénie team
has worked out of a former factory close to Brussels South station
(Bruxelles-Midi, Brussel-Zuid). The space, covered by a vast glass
canopy, was redesigned by the Ghent-based architect Glenn Sestig
This is the same man who this year opened his first luxury hotel Sestig
Hotel. In the cubic Huis Van Waes building in Ghent
that he reconstructed. By Tuija Seipell
Seen any other interesting events we should know about? e-mail
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Bathroom, washroom, toilet, powder room, ladies’/men’s room, whatever we call it, it is the one place in any public or semi-public place — including restaurants, hotels, concert halls, clubs or bars — that really tells what the entire establishment is all about.
Sometimes it may be possible to fake customer care, cool or luxury at the front end, but the truth is always revealed in the loo. If the bathrooms are ordinary, filthy or in poor repair — or all three — you can be sure that the whole concept is just surface glare, without substance and without true respect of the guests.
Just as the owners’ attitudes are reflected in the staff they or their managers hire, their true values and beliefs are revealed in the places that get overlooked in poorly executed concepts: parking garages , coat checks, kitchens, and most visibly and most commonly, bathrooms.
It continues to baffle us why it is not obvious that the experience of going to a concert or dining at a restaurant includes the entire experience, not just parts of it. The divine food in a restaurant or the concert at a venue has a lot to cover up if the journey to your seat was poor agony. We have all had experiences like this: You were scared in the car park, got soaked in the line-up outside, had your wet coat crushed and your scarf dropped at the coat check, and when you proceeded to freshen up in the bathroom, it was completely uninspiring, poorly lit, ill-equipped and stinky. You are disappointed, but not surprised. It has happened too often.
Which is why we are glad that bathrooms are starting to get some serious design attention. There is so much room to impress and surprise that it is amazing everyone isn’t doing something about it. It is one huge untapped opportunity. Because most of us have been so thoroughly underwhelmed hundreds of times, our expectations are quite low to start with.
Owners and designers of such places have an unprecedented chance to surprise, please and pamper us, and to show that they really mean business all the way through.
We are hoping that we will be seeing much more of great bathroom design and that there will be fewer disappointments in your future. Let us know when that happens. - Tuija Seipell
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