Innholdsfortegnelse for July/August 2019 i AZURE

Olafur Eliasson’s ever-expanding oeuvre encompasses both atmospheric installations and tangible products. The Icelandic-born artist has always been enamoured of light, the focal element of works that range from The Weather Project at London’s Tate Modern to his palm-sized solar lamp Little Sun. Azure caught up with him during Euroluce, where he launched a new pendant lamp – the aluminum and polycarbonate OE Quasi Light – with Danish brand Louis Poulsen. It captures his preferred medium in a boundary-pushing sculptural form. You’ve often worked with light in your art. How is creating a product for a manufacturer such as Louis Poulsen different? My artworks involving light are unique and handmade in my studio. So I wanted to do something that was produced with industrial materials and industrial processes and that still…

In high-density cities like Tokyo, London and Hong Kong, where the square footage of studio apartments is more akin to that of walk-in closets, the co-sharing lifestyle offers a clever solution for those living in small spaces. Just as a freelancer without room for a home office might lease a desk in a co-working space, home cooks and budding chefs are now renting well-appointed shared kitchens to throw family-style dinner parties or experiment with new recipes. In Tokyo, local firm Schemata Architects has designed Kitchen Studio Suiba, an 85-square-metre shared kitchen and two-storey dining room in the business district of Kyōbashi. Principal architect Jo Nagasaka considered how the steel volume, wedged between towering buildings, would be interpreted from different perspectives. “The building is small and humorous when viewed from a…

Project Dune Art Museum Location Qinhuangdao, China Firm OPEN Architecture, Beijing, China Team Li Hu and Huang Wenjing with Zhou Tingting, Wang Mengmeng, Hu Boji, Fang Kuanyin, Joshua Parker, Lu Di, Lin Bihong, Ye Qing, Steven Shi and Jia Han Photo Wu Qingshan Peeking out from beneath a seaside sand dune on the coast of Bohai Bay in northern China, the Dune Art Museum evokes an exquisite alien artifact, revealed by the same winds that formed the beach’s unique topography over thousands of years. The building’s designers, Beijing firm OPEN Architecture, sought to embed the structure within the landscape in order to preserve it: Many similar geographical features along the same shoreline have been destroyed by luxury real estate developments that have plowed over the dunes to open up panoramic…

Project Infinite Buildings Location Montreal, Canada Firm Jean-Maxime Labrecque Architecte, Montreal, Canada Team Jean-Maxime Labrecque When designing homes for serious art lovers, architects are often asked to tailor certain spaces to showcase favourite pieces. Jean-Maxime Labrecque, however, received a far more unusual request from two recent art-collector clients: They wanted their Montreal residence’s awkwardly narrow lower floor to function not as a gallery for any one particular acquisition, but, rather, as its own site-specific artwork. The solution that Labrecque’s firm devised has strong echoes of the work of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, yet it is thoughtfully integrated into its basement setting, effectively balancing artistic impact with domestic practicality. The first portion of the two-part installation consists of a narrow passageway featuring both a floor and ceiling clad in mirrored panels.…

Project Michigan Loft Location Chicago, U.S. Firm Vladimir Radutny Architects, Chicago, U.S. Team Vladimir Radutny with Ryan Sarros and Fanny Hothan Photos Mike Schwartz Sometimes, the luxury of space comes at the expense of warmth. Such was the case in this sprawling century-old loft, which boasted ceilings up to nine metres high but lacked intimacy. That chilliness evaporated entirely when architect Vladimir Radutny signed on to transform it. His intervention made the gritty, 209-square-metre unit feel homey while maximizing functionality – with astoundingly beautiful results. Radutny’s approach: divide and conquer. Following his redesign – which involved carving out individual spaces within the colossal volume and introducing common elements to form a cohesive living environment – the dwelling’s entry point now consists of a low, white oak–clad foyer that leads into…

Project ‘The Arbour’ George Brown College Tall Wood Building Location Toronto, Canada Firm Moriyama & Teshima Architects (Toronto, Canada) + Acton Ostry Architects (Vancouver, Canada) Team Carol Phillips, Veronica Madonna, Russell Acton and Milos Begovic with Daniel Teramura, Jay Zhao, Daniel Kinnett, Greg Perkins, Tristan Roberton, Mark Ostry, Matt Wood, Sean Koudela and Nebo Slijepcevic In the final stage of an international competition, this concept beat out proposals from other top firms for George Brown College’s new School of Technology (and Canada’s first Tall Wood Research Institute). Destined for the school’s waterfront campus in Toronto, the low-carbon building maximizes the spanning capabilities of cross-laminated timber to serve as a striking new model for sustainable architecture. Clad in warm terracotta, the project features an angular CLT and glulam roof and an…

“The greatest value in giving out awards [to such projects as Sydney Park] is to show the importance of embracing design when building infrastructure. You can’t not consider both the natural and the built environment.”— Pat Hanson Project Sydney Park Water Re-Use Project Location St. Peters, New South Wales, Australia Firms Turf Design Studio and Environmental Partnership, Sydney, Australia Team Mike Horne, Adam Hunter and Scott Ibbotson with Damon La’Rance, Sarah Scott, Adam Fowler, Andrew McMillan, Jennifer Turpin, Michaelie Crawford and Geraldene Dalby-Ball Much has been achieved over the past two decades to transform the site of Sydney Park – formerly an industrial area – into 44 hectares of parkland serving the growing communities of Sydney’s southeast suburbs. Overseen by Turf Design Studio and Environmental Partnership in collaboration with the…

UNIT BY CESAR Defined by its slightly softened edges and rounded legs, Unit combines the functional aspects of the kitchen workspace with more versatile furniture. For instance, the freestanding island shown is paired with Platform, a circular table that mounts on the worktop’s corner. Designed by Garcia Cumini, the system is available in a range of finishes, including new offerings such as the colourful Rosso Jaipur Fenix laminate pictured. cesar.it…

The Scientific Method Depending on whom you ask, cooking represents either an art or a science – which means that the kitchen can be understood as equal parts studio and laboratory. This dual identity is on full display in a Victorian renovation that British firm Simon Astridge Architecture Workshop recently completed for a London scientist. Precise yet expressive, Astridge’s scheme situates the home’s cooking space and dining room in a new ground-floor addition defined by a distinctive focal point: a large circular window modelled after the ocular lens of a microscope. In another experimental move, the uncluttered food-prep area that runs along one side of the room is topped with a terrazzo slab countertop, chosen for its resemblance to magnified cells. But lest these scientifically inspired elements shift the space…

Project Idea Exchange | Old Post Office Location Cambridge, Ontario, Canada Firm RDHA, Toronto, Canada Team Tyler Sharp, Bob Goyeche, Juan Caballero, Andrew Cranford, Ivan Ilic and Soo-Jin Rim with Kelly Gilbride, Andrew Dionne, Ezzat Mitri, Raed Hindi, David Guigovaz, Robert Ng, Sarah Mackel, Brad Hollebrandse and Drew Fletcher Photos Tom Arban What defines a library? Once upon a time, the answer would have been obvious: books – lots of them. But over the past decade, technological plot twists such as smartphones and e-readers have called for re-examinations of long-time functions. In the city of Cambridge in Southwestern Ontario, RDHA has delivered an especially compelling vision of the 21st-century library. Along a bank of the Grand River, the firm dusted off an 1885 heritage building that had fallen into disrepair,…

Project Geographies of Urban Filth School University of Waterloo, Canada Team Liyang Zhang with thesis supervisor Rick Andrighetti Cities expend huge amounts of money – and energy – to disguise and bury the systems that carry away the collective waste of their residents. This thesis project seeks to upend that practice, which is bound to issues of class and race, by reimagining urban space and infrastructure that would put people right back into the muck of things. The thesis uses the North Toronto Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is central to three physically and socially disconnected neighbourhoods of different income levels and ethnic groups, as its model and starting point. Buried and disguised below ground in the Don Valley ravine, the facility collects and filters wastewater from surrounding communities before releasing…

Architecture Buildings Over 1,000SqM Project Muttenz Water Purification Plant Location Muttenz, Switzerland Firm Oppenheim Architecture Europe, Switzerland Team Chad Oppenheim with Beat Huesler Photo Aaron Kohler Within just a couple of years, nature is expected to claim the facade of this municipal water-purification plant near Basel, Switzerland. Sprayed in a mix of Shotcrete and local clay, the low-maintenance, adobe-like exterior will act as a coarse, porous substrate for moss and other vegetation, transforming the instant landmark into a curious verdant hillock on the boundary between a protected forest and an industrial park. The state-of-the- art water-purification equipment inside shapes the building’s expressive and crumpled form, seemingly vacuum-sealed around pipelines, filters and other apparatuses. In response to its setting, the architects’ baseline concept for the project was to combine the natural…

Quartz 1 Striking Veins Bold swaths of black and charcoal veining across a white background lend Bentley a minimal yet dramatic look. Part of Cambria’s Luxury Series, it’s available in high gloss and matte finishes, in large slabs measuring 335 by 166 centimetres. cambriausa.com 2 Organic Elegance HanStone’s newest collection, Unearthed, is inspired by the natural elements of water and stone. The line’s three styles – Terra (shown), Storm and Coast – each offer neutral tones with gentle veining. The Canadian-made slabs come in a jumbo size of 164 by 329 centimetres, with two- and three-centimetre thicknesses available. hanstone.ca 3 Rough Cut A recent addition to Caesarstone’s Metropolitan collection, Primordia evokes the time-etched quality of rust-speckled stone through subtle tonal modulations. Featuring a slightly coarse Rough Concrete finish, this design…

Does the world really need another chair? This question perennially hangs over Salone del Mobile. But the super-lightweight Vela, debuted this year by Magis, made a compelling argument for chair design as a locus of experimentation in sustainability. Many a brand rep at the fair will implore you to pick up their latest feather-light feat of engineering. With the magnesium Vela, however, I was actually surprised at how effortlessly I could lift the piece with one hand. Magnesium is extremely lightweight and strong. It is two thirds the weight of aluminum, but can be cast in thinner forms. And it’s more economical and recyclable than carbon fibre. The idea for Magis to explore its potential for furniture came from the top. The brand’s founder, Eugenio Perazza, approached Tel Aviv duo…

Matte Collection by Café Along with a rich, subtly textured matte black finish, this full suite of appliances from new brand Café offers complete customizability: The hardware can be easily swapped as style preferences change. Brushed stainless is standard-issue, while brushed copper, bronze and black make up the other options. The Matte Collection, which also includes a flat white alternative, consists of fridges, wall ovens, cooktops, ranges and dishwashers. cafeappliances.ca Concrete Gray by Blanco A realistic interpretation of concrete, this latest addition to Blanco’s palette of Silgranit sinks comes in a soft mid-tone with a nuanced balance of blue and red undertones. Calibrated to work equally well in warm and cool colour schemes, the flat finish is infused with dark speckling that gives it depth and contributes to its raw…

Jimi Yui, winner of a James Beard Award for restaurant design, has more than a little insight on what it takes to craft hard-working kitchens: In his more-than-30-year career, he has designed back-of-the-house spaces for such high-calibre chefs as Thomas Keller, April Bloomfield and Nobu Matsuhisa. Here, Yui offers some strategic advice to those considering professional kitchen design. Spend time with the chef If you can’t get the info from the end user, you’re essentially working blind. Collaborating with the chef – and the rest of the staff – is such an important thing to do. The more information that can be gathered at the start of the design process, the more tailored the tools that are delivered. If there is no input, you’ll likely end up with a generic…

Project Officina sofa Design Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec Design, Paris, France Manufacturer Magis, Torre di Mosto, Italy More often than not, a sofa is introduced into a living room as a spot for individuals to gather in intimate conversation. Of course, the more diverse the personalities, the more interesting their dynamic. Magis’s Officina sofa is a testament to the power of unexpected pairings. Named for the Italian word for “workshop,” the design by French brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec marries industrial craftsmanship with stately grandeur. Its plush upholstered cushions – available in, among other fabrics, glamorous velvet – rest on a surprisingly rough complement: wrought iron. And yet, thanks to this material’s strength, the Bouroullecs were able to accommodate the weight of several bodies with an astonishingly thin framework. Aside…

Project Imago Location Montreal, Canada Firm Kanva, Montreal, Canada Team Rami Bebawi and Tudor Radulescu with Olga Karpova, Dina Safonova, Minh-Giao Truong, Blackwell, Martin Roy et associés, Bruce Mau Design, Paul-André Linteau, Susan Bronson, Gabrielle Mathieu, Alta Construction and LightFactor With Montreal’s main commercial strip – rue Sainte-Catherine – set to undergo four years of infrastructure updates, the city launched a competition in 2016 seeking solutions to help lessen the impact on businesses. The winning design, by local firm Kanva, was revealed later that year, and it has since earned the firm a slew of awards, including finalist status at the 2018 World Architecture Festival. Contemplating the constant evolution of this important urban artery, the architects began to draw comparisons with biological transformation, eventually arriving at a solution that they…

Project Neeson Cripps Academy Location Phnom Penh, Cambodia Firm COOKFOX Architects, New York City, U.S. Team Rick Cook and Pam Campbell with Ciarán Conlon Photo David Yeow “The Neeson Cripps Academy shows how architecture can react efficiently and with great precision to the needs of a community, fostering social well-being no matter the budget.”— Stefano Pujatti Architecture’s greatest power is its ability to transform – a site, a mood, a community. The Neeson Cripps Academy in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, is a beautiful testament to that force. Built near the site of the former Stung Meanchey landfill, one of the world’s most notorious garbage dumps, the academy is helping to eradicate poverty by providing 400 children with a world-class education. Many of those children once scavenged the dump as a…

Table Lamps 1 Bud Portable and rechargeable, Bud by Melissa Yip can go anywhere. Two petals extend from its tapered face to hold the bulb, which is activated by a push of the palm; pressing again adjusts the intensity of the brightness through three settings. Materials Polycarbonate in six colourways Dimensions 20.2 H Manufacturer Innermost, innermost.net 2 Madre A circular cutout in the vessel-shaped body of Andrea Anastasio’s Madre exposes an integrated dry vase. The void also creates an interplay of light and shadow, even when the lamp is turned off. Materials Coated metal, etched blown glass, borosilicate, polycarbonate Dimensions 36 H Manufacturer Foscarini, foscarini.com 3 Fulcrum Lamp The triangular shade of this two-piece fixture rotates with a gentle push of the finger; the degree of cantilever takes the light…

Beginning in Weimar, Germany, in 1919, the Bauhaus story is one of evolution. In just 14 years the school moved cities twice before closing permanently, under pressure from the Nazis. And yet it perseveres to this day: the students and staff scattered around the globe, taking their ideas and ideals with them, allowing Bauhaus to become the seed from which modernism germinated. This year, celebrations marking the centennial of this movement are taking place all over Germany and around the world. And these events are being infiltrated by Spinning Triangles, a project that aspires to challenge the legacy of the institution in hopes of reverse-engineering it to create an updated modernism for the 21st century. “The Bauhaus aimed to educate a new generation of designers, makers and thinkers that would…