The Brand Edit: design stories you should know

A week is a long time in politics, they say. It’s also a long time in the design industry. Such is the concentration of fairs and other physical events these days that one’s sense of time and location can become a bit skewed. But cast your mind back, if you will, to Milan Design Week (only six weeks ago). Among the surfeit of products on show were a handful that are truly moving the needle.

One is Arper's Catifa Carta, a revisiting of their Catifa 53 chair, but this time made of paper – or, rather, PaperShell, a composite wood by-product that sequesters carbon in its creation. Just 29 sheets of paper, bonded with a natural resin, is all it takes to deliver a design every bit as iconic as its predecessor. Read Architonic contributor Harriet Thorpe’s recent report, where she speaks with Arper CEO Roberto Monti about the manufacturer’s motivation and mission.

Sustainability-minded R&D is also in evidence when it comes to Villeroy & Boch’s evolving TwistFlush[e³] technology, as explored in Nils Schellmann’s latest story for Architonic. As the name would suggest, its particular pattern of water flow means an optimal flush, which, in turn, means no second flush needed and, therefore, water saved.

Manufacturers continue to harness the expertise and, not least, the brand value of high-profile architects as authors of their collections. Long-established producer of kitchen and bathroom fixtures TONI Copenhagen’s collaboration with BIG has resulted in a decidedly sculptural, geometric tap that the company’s creative director, Bjarke Vind, describes as ‘the most architectural faucet I’ve ever seen’. Watch out for its launch in Copenhagen at 3daysofdesign. 

Micro-architecture comes in other forms, too. In a wide-ranging interview with Robin Rizzini, the Milan-based designer argues that ‘tables are the closest thing to architecture’ in the design world, revealing the creative process behind his latest addition to Pedrali’s product portofolio – the satisfyingly rational Rizz table. ‘My approach is that nothing is really hidden. A product has to be designed in its entirety.’

A pod, a booth, a niche. Call it what you will, but the need to get away from it all in shared spaces continues, as Emma Moore investigates in her latest story for Architonic, where she talks to Made-in-Britain brand Boss Design about their architecturally led Frida pod. ‘Our brief was to design a focus booth that departs from the corporate look-and-feel of existing products and provides a level of comfort inspired by residential furniture,’ explains designer Aaron Clarkson. 

For many, including me, merely stepping outside is the best way to focus and reenergise. As we’ve reported recently for both Cassina and Royal Botania, outdoor furniture collections are continuing their ascent in terms of design consideration and performance – aided in no small part by the application of clever, weather-defying materials – putting them on a par with their indoor counterparts. The latest example of classic designs being adapted for al-fresco usage, moreover, comes in the form of Cassina’s Utrecht XL, which reimagines that pedigree piece of design history that is modernist legend Gerrit Rietveld’s 1935 Utrecht chair. A personal favourite. 

Or how about traveling a bit further than the terrace and heading off to India this autumn for the inaugural Design Mumbai fair? It’s the country’s first design exhibition to showcase hand-picked local and international industry leaders, while capturing the creative energy and consumer power of the world’s fifth-biggest economy. ‘A chance to broadcast the design wealth of this extraordinary subcontinent’ is how design grandee Tom Dixon describes it in our feature on this pioneering show, and who are we to disagree?

If you want enlightenment closer to home, why not check out a trio of recent lighting stories? While designer David Fabbri’s collaboration with French lighting atelier Forestier sees a new collection aimed at counteracting the chaos of contemporary life via poetic forms and judiciously selected materials, Jens Fager’s Split lighting series for De Vorm delivers a more rational, archetypally modern range of luminaires that certain to delight architects and lighting planners. 

Intra Lighting, meanwhile, have sought to combine three key functionalities – lighting, acoustics and well-being – in one new, ceiling-mounted ‘super’ product called Pyrymyd. You can read our investigation into this intriguing development here. 

And from looking up to looking out. Architonic has long reported on the world-class tech innovations of German smart-home specialists Busch-Jaeger. Our latest story, written by Mareile Morawietz, introduces readers to a handful of intriguing new products, including next-generation motion detectors that turn vigilance into an artform. 

And last, but not least, an exercise in 360-degree looking. Italian manufacturer Lema has created a total guide to how to shape a multitude of interior spaces via a universal design language. Called In’Habit, its inspiring new catalogue features an expansive, virtual house, furnished top-to-toe in its broad portfolio of customisable products, often deployable in multiple settings. Who said you can have enough of a good thing?

© Architonic

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