Innholdsfortegnelse for January/February 2020 i AZURE

What’s in a ceramic tile? From the striking facade of a Barcelona hotel to the vivid interplay of surfaces at Manhattan’s Mercado Little Spain, Spanish ceramics are a marquee feature of inspiring architecture and interiors globally. Drawing on centuries of tradition, the country’s contemporary ceramics combine a durable and sustainable material with innovations that expand its aesthetic and functional possibilities across a range of applications. Under the Tile of Spain banner, the nation’s ceramics manufacturers are the stewards of a continually evolving craft. It all begins, as it always has, with the earth. A humble mixture of natural, renewably sourced ingredients — including clay, water and feldspar — is baked at high temperatures to create a long-lasting and non-flammable product. The environmentally sensitive process also salvages unused material to minimize…

Housing a convenience store, a travel agency and a Chinese restaurant, a strip mall in the city of Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, appears just as unassuming as any other. Only this particular mall is also the location of Kolab Project’s flagship cannabis shop, LAB001, which masquerades as a laundromat. Just inside the doors, an austere entry lined with vintage washing machines and metal carts leads to a room where pipes, grinders and other pot accoutrements appear to float effortlessly in transparent acrylic cases. A black and yellow news ticker above the stainless-steel reception desk displays customer wait times. “I wanted to emulate a business that would be located here already. The laundromat was the perfect front,” says LAB001’s designer, Emil Teleki. The brains behind Toronto studio I-V, Teleki has also designed offices…

Marble. Granite. Wood. Thanks to rapid advances in digital printing and 3D fabrication, ceramic tiles can look and even feel like just about anything. But where is the fun in that? While evolving technologies allow manufacturers to better mimic natural materials, they also offer designers the freedom to reimagine these finishes in bolder, even over-the-top ways. Witness the latest from Cersaie, the Italian tile expo staged annually in Bologna. The most recent iteration, held last fall, saw a host of manufacturers use nature as a springboard to create daring surfaces that were exuberantly — and unapologetically — faux. Boutique Onice Fantastico, the most striking design in Del Conca’s new Boutique collection, playfully hints at the exaggerated natural inspiration in its moniker. This isn’t just onyx — it’s fantastic onyx. The…

Billed as a travelling antidote to traditional trade shows, Nomad Circle was founded in 2016 as a mobile showcase for niche collectible design. “We wanted to create a format that was more personal…an experience,” says Montreal-born co-founder Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte of the twice-a-year gathering, which landed most recently in Venice. Among the highlights: inflatable tables and (literally) fizzy chandeliers. The next one, in St. Moritz, runs February 6 to 9. nomad-circle.com Mattia Bonetti for David Gill Gallery As it was held during Venice Glass Week, the show, appropriately, included a number of works in the medium. Among them: Paris-based Bonetti’s mirrors, lights and tables, created in Murano and featuring colourful glass piping. India Mahdavi for WonderGlass The orbs comprising Mahdavi’s Clover chandelier (far right) are pulegoso glass, made by adding baking…

JK21 A modern interpretation of Japanese designer Junko Enomoto’s Junko Mix from 1977, JK21 by Fabrizio Batoni is defined by playful lines and colourful decorative inserts. Options include PVD and lacquered steel in red, blue or yellow, as well as such stones as Carrara marble and travertine. zazzeri.it INFINITY Sculptural and dramatic, the Infinity wall-mount faucet can be installed on the left- or right-hand side of a mirror. Measuring 86 centimetres in height, the scene-stealer is available in 20 eco-friendly ceramic-based colour-ways, including deep red (shown), navy blue, gloss white and army green. isenbergfaucets.com MOD+ One of three marble options for the handles of this faucet, Forest Green introduces a rich contrast to contemporary bathroom designs. Augmenting their versatility are 17 available finishes for the brass faucet and handles; knurled…

As you approach Double Header House in Victoria, B.C.’s eclectic Fernwood neighbourhood, you catch glimpses of silver between the branches of the soaring horse chestnut trees that line the street. That silver — the hue of the large sheets of rippling galvanized aluminum that fold over the sides of the house like a sculptural double layer — suggests a piece of space-age origami. Beneath its sharply angled planes, flipper fins and beaklike protrusions, bleached western red cedar siding peeks out to counter all that cool metal. Matthew Heinl and Kaylin Culligan weren’t looking to make a bold statement when they first met with contractors about renovating the property’s existing pre-1912 cottage. They simply wanted to add more space for themselves and their two children, now aged six and 15. But…

1 Abstract With Abstract, prism-shaped reflectors hover just off the wall thanks to a trio of suspension rods. The reflectors (in three sizes) can be used on their own or arranged in custom multi-configuration displays. Materials Metal in satin white or satin black Dimensions 65 H × 104 W (single); 124 H × 109 W (configuration of three) Manufacturer Sonneman, sonnemanawayoflight.com 2 Tobia Ferruccio Laviani’s tubular fixture combines a sinuous bend — which serves as a handle — and a clip-in mounting element that, together, allow for it to be effortlessly adjusted; illumination is cast both upand downward. Materials Liquid-coated metal, aluminum Dimensions 40.4 H × 11.1 W × 11.4 D Colourways White, black, yellow, orange and gold Manufacturer Foscarini, foscarini.com 3 Amphi Sconce At once retro and refined, Steven…

Besides the house you shot for this issue, what residence has impressed you the most lately? IVO TAVARES Photographer, “The House in the Hill” (page 72) This year, I shot a home called GR House (pictured) by Portuguese architect Paulo Martins. What caught my eye was the way he created moments that emphasize the views into the valley beyond. What direction do you see residential architecture going in? ROSEMARY POOLE Writer, “Shared Economy” (page 68) Increasingly, homeowners are seeking more adaptable interiors that can be easily modified for aging in place or suited for tenants, relatives and even multiple-unit conversion. What was the most memorable part of your assignment? JOANN PLOCKOVA Writer, “Czech Balance” (page 84) With DDAANN’s Summer House, a major source of inspiration for the project came from…

Compared to oil–based synthetics like vinyl flooring or aggressively mined materials such as marble, ceramic tiles have always been an environmentally friendly design choice. A long-lasting “wood look” ceramic floor, for instance, has an even smaller carbon footprint than real parquet. But while the remarkable durability of modern ceramics continues to be a defining advantage of the medium, the industry isn’t sitting idly on its strengths, embracing automation and better waste-disposal practices to enhance tilemaking’s green cred even more. Take Lea Ceramiche’s factory in the Italian town of Fiorano Modenese, which is located some 45 kilometres west of Bologna, host of the world’s leading tile expo every year. There, laser-guided vehicles affectionately known as WALL-Es roll down the aisles of an automated production facility that ranks among the most efficient…

When you look at David Adjaye’s most recently completed American building, you see red. Ruby City, a contemporary art museum in San Antonio, Texas, has shimmering, earthy crimson facades; its vivid volumes stand out from both its dusty post-industrial block and from the ranks of contemporary high design. And that’s fine by Adjaye. The Ghanaian–British architect sees Ruby City as having its own specific mission. “It is a place that really exists to inspire people,” he says. “And it seeks to make sense of where you are in the world — not in a literal sense, but through a sort of narrative.” In other words, through its own artistry. The 1,400-square-metre gallery, which unveiled its first public exhibition in October, showcases the collection of the artist, collector and philanthropist Linda…

It’s difficult to imagine anyone speeding through their morning routine on autopilot in the serene bathrooms created by Toronto designer Johnson Chou. In environments so deeply considered, the simple act of brushing one’s teeth suddenly becomes more considered. Chou makes sure of it. “We’re in this era of instant gratification, where we’re so focused on making bathrooms just about getting out of the house and off to work,” he says. “In fact, they can be this chance to slow down and cultivate an appreciation for the things around you.” Hallmarks of Chou’s evocative designs include monolithic vanities and bathtubs — typically custom-designed in statuary marble or pearly white Corian (Chou’s preferred material choice) — that hold the same intrigue as modern sculptures. “I treat every component as a 3D element,…

What’s in a name? For Romeu Ribeiro and José Pedro Marques, principals of the Portuguese architecture firm REM’A, the answer is: quite a lot. The partners could have called themselves Ribeiro e Marques Arquitectos, but they chose the acronym, in part, because it suggests a mind meld — the notion that two brains combined are better than the sum of their parts. Ribeiro and Marques have known each other since their first year of university more than a decade ago and have worked together since 2014. “We discuss much more than we design,” says Marques. Their practice is rooted in creativity and debate. The name REM’A also evokes one of their heroes, Rem Koolhaas, the renowned architect, urbanist and co-founder of the experimental firm OMA. Among Koolhaas’s masterworks is Casa…

1 Parc 05 Lambert & Fils and Swiss designer Adrien Rovero modelled this product family to evoke the familiar form of a flashlight, memories of playing in nature and — when it’s switched on — constellations. Materials Hand-blown frosted glass, powder-coated aluminum in eight textured colourways (burgundy and blue shown) Dimensions 150 H × 58 W × 78 D Manufacturer Lambert & Fils, lambertetfils.com 2 JWDA Floor Lamp Swedish architect and designer Jonas Wagell took cues from traditional oil lamps for his JWDA collection, which now includes a floor version. Materials Opal glass, brushed or bronzed brass, steel, travertine or Carrara marble Dimensions 150 H × 28 or 39 W Manufacturer Menu, menu.as 3 Arrival Floor Each branch of this shapely fixture by Ludovica + Roberto Palomba features an embedded…

Sharjah Totems While clay might not be the first material that comes to mind for a suite of contemporary furnishings, the ancient substance proved just the medium for Barcelona designer Pepa Reverter and Dubai architect Abdalla Almulla’s first collaboration. Unveiled during the 2019 London Design Fair, their eight-piece Sharjah Totems collection — a series of 35-to-70-centimetre-wide terracotta- and umber-toned vessels — functions as outdoor seating, tabletops and more. Lids and bands with accents of plum and tangerine made from safeefah (woven palm fronds) transform the earthen forms into individual perches — perfect for roosting while checking email — as well as surfaces for working or dining. Alternatively, as many as four pieces can be stacked to create towering columns and, ultimately, a whole landscape of large-scale, hand-formed pottery. The totems…

For such a beloved site, Montreal’s former Expo 67 fairgrounds in the middle of the St. Lawrence River had been rather neglected by the time of their 50th anniversary three years ago. But that was then. Spurred by the city’s own 375th birthday in 2017, the better part of Parc Jean-Drapeau on Ile Sainte-Helene — nearly 140,000 square metres of land in total — was earmarked for a major makeover that saw completion last summer. Rethought and reconfigured by the transdisciplinary design firm Lemay, the site now boasts new lighting and seating, enhanced circulation, a more-than-57,000-square-metre “amphitheatre,” a riverside walkway and a host of sleek pavilions. At the core of Lemay’s $64-million revamp is a striking central concourse connecting R. Buckminster Fuller’s famed geodesic dome (now the Biosphere) with Alexander…

Raw Inspired by the delicate patina of flaked plaster, Atlas Concorde’s new Raw line is an invitingly tactile collection of tonal porcelain and white-body wall tiles. Raw comes in a variety of intricate geometric patterns and restrained colours, including sand, mud, rose and blue, to name a few. Installed in 28-by-28-centimetre sheets, the Block series (shown) is accentuated by inset micro-squares to create an eye-catching 3D showpiece. Similarly, Twist turns any surface into a swirling composition with its slanted rectangular forms and triangular grout-filled gaps. atlasconcorde.com Regolo Appiani’s latest collection offers a plethora of fresh new looks. Finished in a matte glaze, Regolo’s combinations of subway tiles and simple square mosaics create surprisingly expressive surfaces. Measuring 7.5 by 30 centimetres, the rectangular modules are coupled with mosaics as small as…

ADVANCED CLEAN 100 SPALET BIDET TOILET Along with front and rear self-cleaning and adjustable nozzles, a three-temperature warm air dryer, a heated seat with six levels and an automatic open–close lid, this model includes blue-light bowl sterilization and a deodorizer with a replaceable charcoal filter. americanstandard.ca RP WASHLET+ RX With its compact design, this wall-mounted toilet takes up nearly 23 square centimetres less space than a standard floor model; a concealed supply connection completes its streamlined look. Wall stud and waste outlet installation kits are available for both commercial and residential applications. totousa.com KARING 2.0 An elongated seat gives this intelligent one-piece toilet added ergonomic comfort. The seat is also motion-activated and the spray wand uses UV light and electrolyzed water to self-clean; an auto-flush function initiates after every use.…

EACH ROW HOUSE HAS ITS OWN CHARACTER To hear Ben Waechter describe it, origami is fundamentally an exercise in generating character from a plain surface. “You start with a flat piece of paper that has no texture,” the principal of Waechter Architecture says of the centuries-old Japanese art of paper-folding, “and you go through this process of folding it into shapes, which gives it form and shadow.” Despite working with a palette of inherently unexciting materials, Waechter evokes texture and shadow in abundance at Origami, a multi-unit residential project completed in the summer of 2019 in Portland, Oregon. The 50-year-old architect, who completed a three-year stint at Renzo Piano Building Workshop in Genoa before founding his eponymous firm in 2007, is in the middle of a boom in such projects…

Baffles 1 Cloud Nine The Clario Cloud Circle baffles by 3form can be individually suspended from ceilings by a simple cable and bolt system or combined together into various unique compositions. Made of 9.5-millimetre-thick Sola Felt in 15 colourways, the 1,220- and 1,829-millimetre units provide an NRC rating of 0.7. 3-form.com 2 Kit of Parts Available in nine pre-measured pattern options, DesignFlex for Formations Acoustical Clouds by Armstrong provide precut trim and suspension frames as well as attachment hardware to easily configure retail and office spaces. Lighting can also be integrated within the ceiling kits. armstrongceilings.com 3 Cushioned Noise Xorel Artform has added ceiling baffles to its line of upholstered acoustic panels for seamless wall-to-ceiling integration. Available in five shapes, including Flip (shown) and Ripple, the vertically suspended units offer…

Over the past several years, the capital of Ecuador has quietly seen major residential projects by such global heavy hitters as Arquitectonica, Philippe Starck and Marcel Wanders dot its cityscape. More buildings by the likes of Denmark’s BIG, France’s Jean Nouvel and Boston-based Safdie Architects are currently under construction in Quito and its environs. “Their work here has elevated the creative playing field for everyone,” says Joseph Schwarzkopf, scion of Uribe & Schwarzkopf, the ambitious local development firm that has engaged the star designers above (plus such dynamic homegrown practices as Diez + Muller Arquitectos) to build more high-rises on its home turf. Schwarzkopf’s objective is a denser Quito, which, in its own way, is also a goal of El Sindicato Arquitectura, an experimental young firm composed of three principals…