Innholdsfortegnelse for February / March 2019 i Urbis

Welcome to our first issue of 2019! We have decided to open up the year with our own, rather personal ode to the subject of ‘new luxury’. Why new? Since our last issue on the topic a couple of years ago, there has been much talk of luxury going well beyond the idea of ‘objects’ and being more centred on experiences. There has been less emphasis on being fully dependent on brand names and more emphasis on craftsmanship, regardless of the logo attached to it. Another aspect we have come across is this increased desire of consumers to know the narratives associated with their products. Who made it, where, how? What is unique about the materials? All these play a part in adding a sense of uniqueness and symbolic value…

We spotted these puzzling and technically challenging objects at Towards a Standard, a current solo exhibition by one of our favourite New Zealand ceramicists, Laurie Steer. Conceived as a reaction to English artist Bernard Leach’s A Potter’s Book, these often-challenging pieces quote traditional Japanese, British, African and even Korean ceramics while, at the same time, pushing the boundaries of local traditions. Their beauty is in their strangeness; the seeming lack of functionality is puzzling. It’s this technique, however, that proves that Steer is at the top of his game. Laurie Steer, Towards a Standard, Bowerbank Ninow gallery, Auckland, until 16 February. bowerbankninow.com…

McGregor’s favourite things 1 Jack Lights by Tom Dixon These were a gift from Tom when I was his senior designer in London and they now illuminate the back corner of my yard. They’re a reminder of the amazing design journey I’ve been on so far and the talented masters I’ve had the chance to learn from. 2 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner My wife gave this to me and it will be passed down the generations. It’s understated, which I like, and I’m not precious about it so it has dings and scratches that tell their own stories. I’m a firm believer that you should have only one really good watch to last a lifetime. 3 Bang & Olufsen Beoplay A9 It’s more furniture and sculpture than simply a speaker:…

JACKIE MEIRING Jackie is an editorial and commercial photographer, who has covered architecture, interiors, portraits and fashion over the past 25 years. She photographed our cover story: the Herbst-designed house in Tutukaka on page 56. Tell us about the Tutukaka house. I love the unfolding of the house as it steps down the site revealing different views at each level. Also, the outside lanai is a beautiful space to be in; it exquisitely frames the view beyond, giving both a floating and a grounded feeling at the same time. What has been your most memorable photo shoot? That’s a hard one; each shoot has its highlights and the most current one is freshest for me. But, if pressed, the Herbst Lantern House on Waiheke would be high on that list.…

New Zealand fashion designer Rory William Docherty has released a collection of garments influenced by the idea of home. Urbis caught up with the designer to find out more. Urbis: Your work is inspired by your Scottish ancestry. Did you visit Scotland often as a child or do you feel it is more inherited memories of place that you work with? Rory William Docherty: I grew up in the New Zealand countryside, surrounded by family Scottish tradition. It wasn’t until I was 22 that I visited Scotland again. It’s the intertwining of the two, idealised and romanticised to create a utopian vision, that has inspired my new collection. Can you tell us about the process of creating patterns from watercolour paintings? My prints and embroideries stem from my own artwork.…

The second edition of Casacor Miami took place over 15 days in late 2018. The experiential exhibition, recognised as the most complete architecture, interior and landscaping design exhibition in North America, consists of urban living spaces that visitors can move through, experiencing innovative design ideas in situ. Renowned international and local architects, interior designers and landscapers come together at this event to create spaces that represent their individual styles and those of their home countries, along with their picks of the latest and best in furniture, lighting, textiles, art, colours and patterns. In total, there are 20 spaces to visit covering an area of more than 2322m2. While the overall theme of the most recent iteration was Urban Oasis, there were micro-environments within the exhibition, which included themes of wild…

ELECTRICMOTORCYCLE A great way to get out into nature is via dirt bike. Trouble is – dirt bikes are noisy, smelly, petrol-burning beasts. Swedish design company Cake wants to help with that. It has invented a $21,000 electric dirt bike, the Kalk. This bike has been engineered from the ground up and every part of it is designed to be as lightweight and high performance as possible – giving the rider all the thrills and spills of its petrol-burning old-school cousins. With a top speed of 120km/h and a 15kW mid-engine, it’s a powerhouse. We love the design of the Kalk but, for a more low-speed and practical version, it’s worth checking out New Zealand-designed UBCO 2x2 – an electric dirt bike based on the good old Kiwi farm bike.…

IT CAN’T BE A COINCIDENCE that the man who moved to Europe based on “the romantic idea of living there” ended up running a food-and-wine tour company out of Madrid. Wellington-born James Blick grew up in Auckland. He initially worked as a lawyer before following in his family’s footsteps by joining the film industry. Blick says film was simply “in the blood” – his father, a cinematographer, worked on the likes of Peter Jackson’s The Frighteners and his brother is a producer. In search of the big OE – “but not in London” – Blick ventured to France in 2005 to teach English. “It was the only way to get a visa there and I was in love with the clichéd idea of living in Europe, whatever that meant.” Two…

It’s difficult not to swoon over this new restaurant by Kiwi expat Briar Hickling and her Hong Kong-based architecture and interior design practice, Linehouse. Together, the team has created the most deliciously immersive interiors in an interpretation of East-meets-West for this recently opened eatery at the island’s Causeway Bay. Named after a Chinese trading interpreter who worked for the East India Company during the Qing dynasty, the ‘John Anthony’ Cantonese grill and dim sum restaurant is an exquisite fusion of exotic Eastern detailing with colonial architecture. “The whole design is referencing the retro nostalgia of a Chinese canteen brought together with a quintessentially British tea hall,” says Hickling. “One of the nicest elements of the project was working so closely with craft and with local craftspeople – all of the…

Drop everything and depart immediately for Nomad St. Moritz. The invitation-only, travelling exhibition of one-off, collectable design is currently set up in Chesa Planta, the renowned mansion in the heart of the Swiss Alps. It brings together some of the best design galleries from around the globe, such as Nilufar (Milan), David Gill (London), and others from Berlin, Oslo, Hong Kong and beyond. This year, Nomad also showcases a special project highlighting the design differences between Italy and Switzerland through the work of Carlo Mollino, Gio Ponti, Axel Einar Hjorth and the like. Nomad St. Moritz, Swiss Alps, 7–11 February 2019. nomadstmoritz.com…

IN:SITU NZIA CONFERENCE 2019 14–16 February / Auckland Serious architecture buffs should head along to the New Zealand Institute of Architect’s biennial conference at the Spark Arena in Auckland. Eleven leading international architects will be presenting over the first two days while the Saturday features a tour of Auckland architects’ own homes and another of Waiheke Island residences. insitu.nzia.co.nz FOREST POP-UP Various dates / Auckland Ex-Kōkako chef Plabita Florence is taking her skills on the road. Forest Pop-Up takes over Auckland cafés in the evenings, and turns them into lush, forest-like environments. At each location, it serves up a six-course, plant-based meal, using unexpected and often-overlooked ingredients and by-products (think crispy carrot skin and nasturtium mustard). facebook.com/forestpopups WOMAD 15–17 March / New Plymouth Devotees and newbies alike will enjoy the…

IT’S HARD TO KNOW WHERE to begin with Andrew Thomas. Should we talk about his radical new sculpture, Lightwing, a 20-tonne steel piece that anchors a roundabout in an industrial suburb of Wellington? Or should I ask him about the awardwinning sets and exhibition spaces he’s designed for the likes of the Royal New Zealand Ballet, Te Papa and the World of WearableArt’s international touring exhibition? And then there’s the 53-year-old’s musical career: not only did Thomas compose the film score for last year’s Kiwi film, The Changeover, he’s also released five albums of ambient music and collaborated with everyone from LA cult producer BloodPop (whose credits include Lady Gaga and Madonna) to British electronic music legend Alex Paterson (The Orb and Primal Scream). Or perhaps we should focus on…