Innholdsfortegnelse for March/April 2023 i AZURE

The exhibition “Canadian Modern,” on view at Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum during the launch party for the city’s 10-day DesignTO Festival, posits that one thing that sets Canadian design apart is the way it represents the country’s landscape — either in its forms or in its material palette. Building on that tradition, several of the standout introductions at DesignTO and IDS Toronto led design lovers on a walk in the woods (see: new launches from local showroom Mjölk and furniture studio Coolican & Company). Others channelled the bright, optimistic hues of a garden in bloom and the romantic allure of a glowing sunset. But designers also had nature on the mind in other ways. Made from recycled plastic filament, Cyrc’s 3D-printed vases can be mailed back — with free shipping…

Thrown into turmoil after the pandemic-related restrictions of the past couple of years (compounded more recently by labour shortages and inflation), the hospitality industry is on the rebound — and seeking out novel ways to attract those who have made travel a top priority in 2023. For global architecture firm OBMI, which has been advising hospitality brands for more than eight decades, the emphasis is on delivering one-of-a-kind moments that are sustainable and human-centric. “It’s become harder to find unique and off-the-beaten-track experiences that are also sensitive to the environment,” notes the practice’s chairman Tim Peck. The firm’s innovation lab first “explores the desires of guests, as well as the challenges facing developers and the industry as a whole,” then determines whether existing solutions apply or need to be reinvented,…

When most people think of interaction design, they might conjure in their mind’s eye an augmented reality app, a retail touchscreen, even an entire metaverse. When Bonnie Hvillum studied interaction design at Aarhus University, she was instead drawn to the most analog of experiences: the way in which we respond to tactile materials and how their textures and smells evoke powerful feelings and memories within us. This is especially true of biomaterials, new varieties of which she has been inventing in her Natural Material Studio since she founded it in 2019. If Hvillum sees her work as part of a larger paradigm shift — “a move towards co-living and co-creating within systems and systemic wholes” — it’s because, alongside her keen interest in how people relate to them, she’s just…

When one hears the phrase “salvaged materials,” one often thinks of superficial accents: vintage floorboards, wood panels and fluted sconces, which can give a steak house or cocktail bar a pleasingly weathered look. But Building K.118 — a suite of think tanks and artists’ studios in the Swiss city of Winterthur, designed by the Zurich firm Baubüro In Situ — does something else entirely. Reclaimed elements constitute not just the finishes but also the structural core of the project. Architects Marc Angst, Pascal Hentschel and Benjamin Poignon gathered an extensive collection of used materials and thought deeply about each one: What does it ask of them? What opportunities does it afford? K.118 is a four-storey block sitting atop a century-old brick warehouse, which is currently occupied by the Zurich University…

Call it the Kusama effect. From the larger-than-life Yayoi Kusama look-alikes installed at Louis Vuitton stores this past winter to her Instagram-friendly Infinity Mirror Rooms, the Japanese artist knows how to draw a crowd. Now, her work is one of six vibrant glass mosaics installed at Grand Central Madison, a new 65,000-square-metre Long Island Rail Road station located below Grand Central Terminal (and one of North America’s largest transit infrastructure projects). Both Kusama and German-born American artist Kiki Smith were hand-picked for the project following an open call and proposal review by a panel of arts professionals and community representatives. Their works span four arched alcoves on the mezzanine level and two long sites on the Madison concourse — strategic locations selected by the Arts & Design agency of the…

American landscape architect and D.I.R.T. Studio founder Julie Bargmann describes PARK(ing), a 2,230-square-metre site in Detroit’s Core City neighbourhood, as a green space first and a parking lot second. “Let’s imagine that the whole thing is a crazy wild forest,” she says, “and then you take your eraser and put in as many cars as necessary.” In this case, that means parking spots for 28 vehicles — each one nestled among a dense thicket of native trees, grasses and flowers. Brought to life by local real estate development and property management company Prince Concepts and designed by Bargmann with Prince’s in-house landscape designer Andrew Schwartz, the site melds greenery with permeable pavers and granite ground covers in a way that recalls the resilient pockets of nature found along railway tracks…

The pioneering teaching methods of Loris Malaguzzi (1920–1994) and his fellow educators in the Italian town of Reggio Emilia hold that a teacher’s role is not to instruct children on a standardized set of topics but rather to guide them in rich encounters with the world. A key pillar of their pedagogy is that a school’s building is yet another teacher. It’s a philosophy that continues to inform many of today’s most forward-thinking education projects. Hence, when adopting the Reggio Emilia approach for its new school in Madrid, Spain, Colegio Reggio turned to New York- and Madrid-based firm Office for Political Innovation (OFFPOLINN) to develop an appropriately inspiring environment. The radical building that the team came up with places equal emphasis on experiential learning and environmental sensitivity. “It avoids unification…

TICINO Compact and stackable, the Ticino chair by Zurich-based design studio Shibuleru emphasizes the simple lines of traditional farm chairs found in the southern Swiss region it’s named for and in nearby northern Italy. Upholstery options for the seat include leather, fabric or a woven cellulose rope that is at once rustic and refined; the wood structure is offered in natural or charcoal-dyed ash. livingdivani.it NAKU STACK CHAIR The precise design of Naku Stack’s elegant A-frame–style legs allows the chair to be easily stacked and stored. Offered in birch, ash or oak, versions are available without upholstery, with a fully upholstered fabric seat or with only the seat surface covered in leather. Just as fitting for restaurants as for boardrooms, the chair has a pleasing sculptural presence. inno.fi CHESA With…

It might be based in Vancouver, but Obakki has been sending its founder, Treana Peake, on adventures around the world, physically and virtually, for more than 15 years now. In Uganda, she’s met with a group of women who make paper with elephant dung; in Mexico, there are potters creating one-of-a-kind bowls; in Italy, the glass-blowers of Milan brand R+D Lab have Zoomed her in to discuss the gorgeous borosilicate vessels they’re crafting for the brand. What makes Obakki’s business model work is a two-pronged approach. Half of the business is focused on design wholesale. For instance, the brand recently partnered with Mexican designer Andrés Gutiérrez to bring his new white oak furniture series, the Thirteen Heavens collection, to the world. Based on Aztec folklore, the pieces include cabinets and…

On an average day in London, England, municipal authorities fell 27 trees for reasons of safety or street maintenance, to make room for civic infrastructure or because the trees are diseased. Roughly five years ago, Je Ahn, founding director of local firm Studio Weave, found himself wondering where all the timber goes. So, over dinner, he asked a friend — an independent furniture-maker — who then asked a tree surgeon who works for the municipality. “The trees,” he learned, “end up in a yard, where they’re chipped and turned into mulch.” Could the wood be repurposed for architecture instead? The Parks and Open Spaces Department in the London borough of Waltham Forest told Ahn that, if he wanted to use its timber in his publicly funded library project, he could…

Large-Scale Planters 1 Aarde German designer Sebastian Herkner translated the “aspects, elements and shades” he admired on a trip to South Africa into the overlapping glass-reinforced concrete layers of these planters. Equipped with a “self-watering” liner, the vessels are available in a range of neutrals and earthy tones. Materials Glass-reinforced concrete Dimensions Six, from 43 H × 43 W Manufacturer Indigenus, indigenus.co.za 2 Highland Garden Planter This collection of botanical planters takes design cues from sailing yachts; made from nautical materials, they feature polished ridges, arched channels and smooth panels, all offered in rich wood tones or neutral powder-coated colours. An optional trellis doubles as a privacy screen. Materials Marine-grade materials Dimensions Multiple, from 45.7 H × 45.7 W × 35.5 D Manufacturer Tuuci, tuuci.com 3 Pill A new profile…

In Quebec’s Laurentian Mountains, the snow can start falling as early as October and last into May. Blanketed in powder for much of the year, the region’s peaks are justifiably famous for skiing. But farming? Definitely not. It’s simply too cold. Jonathan Casaubon and Geneviève Côté are challenging that. They own Farouche Tremblant, a new agri-tourism destination that produces an impressive array of fresh (albeit hardy) produce: cabbage, kale, beets, carrots and more. For anyone curious about the couple’s Nordic farming methods, they have built a series of architectural guest cabins as well as a café that serves up much of their bounty. “Farouche” is French for “wild” — an apt description of how the two found their 40-hectare property. It was covered in a forest of scruffy evergreens that…

Groundbreaking aesthetics and a flexible space plan were the main asks when it came to MO, a bakehouse and espresso bar in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. The design, which aims to evoke an otherworldly feel, is the creation of Spanish firm Masquespacio, which has previously won hospitality awards for its highly experiential, thought-provoking public spaces. To transform the space’s 400-square-metre shell, Masquespacio decided on a multi-faceted theme, exploring the three main states (solid, liquid and gas) of water — which is not only a key ingredient in MO’s pastries and espresso but also a magical medium able to distort perspective and reality, notes firm co-founder Christophe Penasse. For this reason, a material palette of reflective stainless steel, cement, glossy tile and fabrics and a mirrored ceiling were utilized to speak…

Not surprisingly, Kelly Wearstler’s first-ever presentation at Design Miami/Basel was highly provocative, expressive and elegant. It was revealed in Arca’s Wynwood showroom, in a setting reminiscent of a theatrical stage play, complete with yards of draped curtains and strategically placed mirrors; it also marked the first collaboration between the internationally renowned interior and product designer and the global purveyor of natural stone. Called Nudo — the Spanish word for knot — Wearstler’s collection of marble furniture pieces upends the expectations of what can be achieved using solid stone as a medium. “Though I’ve worked with marble extensively throughout my career, this project presented a challenge to transform and bend the material to create soft-looking forms,” says Wearstler. Indeed, at first glance one would be forgiven for not realizing that the…

LEGACY ROOM, TORONTO In a gleaming office tower high above the streets of downtown Toronto, there is a space whose memory spans thousands of years. Opening out to the city with a carved ceiling and a spirit of welcome, CIBC Square’s Legacy Room channels Indigenous heritage into Canada’s economic core. Led by the Indigenous Design Studio — a speciality practice within Brook McIlroy — the design was developed in partnership with CIBC and the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund, as well as Indigenous stakeholders. Anchored by its sculptural cladding in oak and wood veneer and bookended by stately limestone walls, the interior evokes the heritage of Anishinaabek teaching lodges and the longhouses of Haudenosaunee and Huron-Wendat communities. To foster a more communal, participatory counterpoint to corporate boardrooms, the long…

In 2016, the municipality of Meaford, Ontario, near Georgian Bay, brought on Brock James, a partner at the Toronto firm LGA Architectural Partners, to design a new public library. James studied several possible sites — the existing library, a local strip mall — but was most excited about one in particular: a boxy, stand-alone grocery store that had gone out of business. Why did he care so much about an unimaginative building that he describes as “plain” and “old”? The answer has something to do with its floor size, 930 square metres, and also its location: at a prominent intersection, near the gateway to downtown. Another selling point was the building’s schematics. There’s nothing special about a concrete box, but it makes up in versatility what it lacks in novelty.…

How did this project come about? MOHAMED YAHYA: To give you some background, the northeastern part of Nigeria has experienced over 12 years of an ISIS-type terrorist insurgency. They go to places that have seen deprivation; they don’t go to places where there is a high level of education or opportunities. So what do we do more than a decade after? What lessons have we learned in engaging and pushing back the growth of violent extremism around the world? The UNDP’s perspective is that the root cause is lack of opportunities and development — failure of development — and the solutions will also be found in bringing about development, basic services, security, sense of dignity to people, education, health, et cetera. So out of that concept, we started small in…

Ceiling 1 +Glass In collaboration with the Murano glass specialists at 6:AM Glassworks, Wood-Skin developed a new series of tessellated architectural systems featuring coloured glass inserts. Part of the manufacturer’s Tailor Made range, the parametric design can be custom-configured in endless styles. wood-skin.com 2 Plaid The criss-crossing baffles that define Turf’s ceiling-scape can be left open, as shown, or topped with a cover element for bonus sound absorption. The felt structure is available in 32 hues — including grunge-era options like Jean Jacket — but can also be digitally printed with wood-inspired textures. turf.design 3 Fuji Woven Image drew from the modern Japonisme movement to create a new series of acoustic tiles that coordinate with its Array ceiling-mount hardware. The collection includes three styles: the small, square-shaped Roku, the larger…