Month: March 2020

When Art meets Architecture meets History. 

Let’s take a look at a 6-meter deep stunning sculpture installed in Moxy East Village Hotel. The hotel, which was designed by Rockwell group, celebrates the East Village district, a lively and rebellious center of the American counter-culture at the time. The hotel has been built and decorated as a reference to NYC’s past, present, and future and draws its inspiration from the city’s rock’n’roll culture.

In the quite dramatic and dark designed Cathédrale restaurant, the Rockwell group collaborated with Italian artist Edoardo Tresoldi to create a floating metal sculpture suspended from the ceiling of the room. Made from metallic mesh, the Fillmore was named this way to pay tribute to the Fillmore East, a famous concert hall on the Lower East Side which had hosted groups and musicians among which Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Miles Davis, Janis Joplin or Neil Young.

Edoardo Tresoldi, included by Forbes among the 30 most influential European artists under 30, is known for his volumetric wire-mesh sculptures that often look like holograms of classical architectures past, such as the Etherea cathedrals at the 2018 Coachella Festival, Archetipo in Abu Dhabi, or the Basilica di Siponto in Foggia, Italy.

All pictures © Roberto Conte

Take a look at our top 5 Architecture/Interior design-related podcasts. A top and more over a top 5 is in essence subjective and non-exhaustive so don’t hesitate to tell us which is the best design-related podcast according to you! 

Podcasts are always great resources, and specially on a niche subject like architecture, design or craftsmanship.

Photo by Skyler Smith

• The AD Aesthete podcast

Discover the AD Aesthete podcast, hosted by Mitchell Owens, Decorative Arts editor at AD. Listen to thrilling talks with design-world talents on passionating topics.

Episodes: The work of Elsie de Wolfe, Mario Buatta, trimmings and many more.

Click here to listen

• Clever

Clever is a podcast launched by Design Milk about design and more precisely about designers. Genuine conversations about their works and lives with Jaime Derringer, founder and executive director of Design Milk and Amy Devers to learn more about these people who are shaping the world through design.

Episodes: Furniture & interior designer Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance ,Designer & Queer Eye Star Bobby Berk, Google’s Head of Hardware Design, Ivy Ross, Streetwear Designer Bobby Hundreds, the artist Daniel Arsham.

Click here to listen 

• About Buildings + Cities

A podcast about architecture, buildings and cities. Episodes are about 90 minutes and tackle the past, the present and the future of Architecture.  What is interesting is that they sometimes call other art forms: cinema, literature among others.The podcast is hosted by Luke Jones (a partner at Mill & Jones, a british architecture and design practice)  and George Gingell.

Episodes: The life of Michelangelo, Italian Architecture Under Fascism, John Ruskin & the 19th century, Le corbusier or the architecture of Blade Runner.

Click here to listen 

• The Chaise Lounge podcast

Interviews of the top interior designers asking how they got into interior design, why they started their own firm, and what makes them so successful. The podcast is hosted by Nick May, a painting contractor with a business in Denver, Colorado, Walls by Design. Little anecdote: He always begs the question, “Beer, wine or a cocktail?” The chaise lounge is now a worldwide venture and always hosts famous names in its episodes.

Episodes: Neal Beckstedt, Erin Gates, and many more.

Click here to listen

• The Craft Project

Linking interior design and craftsmanship: this podcast gives voice to artisans with know-how often overlooked by the general public and what drives them. These craftsmen are the one who work with interior designers, collectors or luxury brands. Between tradition and innovation, the podcast does not only address their technique but also their spirit, their intelligence, their creativity.

At the origin of this project, Raphaëlle de Panafieu, co-founder of the Galerie Mayaro.

Episodes: Manuela Paul-Cavallier, ennoeler specialized in the work of gold leaf; Gérard Desquand, heraldic engraver; our talentuous partners: Lison de Caunes, Straw marquetry artist; Victor Guedy, stonecutter and corporate secretary and Pierre-Yves Guenec, blacksmith and business developer at Ateliers Saint-Jacques and Charles Jouffre, upholsterer and founder of Atelier Jouffre.

Click here to listen

For art-lovers this situation seems to be pretty bad since all the museums and galleries we know and love are temporarily closed. However, we listed some of the great virtual exhibitions you can check out from home!

• The MET – 360° project

This award-winning series of six short videos invites viewers around the world to virtually visit The Met’s art and architecture in a fresh, immersive way. Created using spherical 360° technology, it allows viewers to explore some of the Museum’s iconic spaces as never before. Viewed more than 11 million times, this series affords an access and a perspective typically unavailable to the public. Viewers can experience the magic of standing in an empty gallery after-hours, witnessing a bustling space in time-lapse, or floating high above The Met Cloisters.

These videos are available on Youtube and can be viewed through this link on your smartphone, your computer, on Google Cardboard or a VR headset. Be sure to turn up the volume to hear the music, too. 

• The Frick Collection: Explore the galleries online

The Frick Collection also offers a virtual tour of the several rooms that compose it. Click to their interactive map to select which rooms you want to discover and enjoy all the details of the artworks presented in the rooms.  The virtual exhibition is compatible with iPad and iPhone. As an additional feature on iPad 2 and iPhone 4 and higher, you can pan around a gallery by moving your device to the left or right. The Frick Collection also allows you to view their lectures online, you can choose from a selection of more than 240 talks on everything from Antico to Zurbarán. You can also sign up for their virtual Bookclub! 

See more on the link.

• The Cooper-Hewitt online exhibit

Cooper Hewitt is America’s design museum and today they allow you to explore 3 online exhibitions; “Zoom into this embroidered Panel for a Cabinet Door”, “Nature by Design: Botanical Expressions”, “African American Design”. These immersive virtual exhibitions guide you and explain all the details of the artworks showcased.

Click here to enjoy the immersive exhibitions.

• Welcome to the Whitney from home

While the museum is closed, you can enjoy for free their online resources! Hours of video content, including discussions, performances and The Whitney Stories series. You can also explore online Whitney’s collection of over 25,000 works, created by more than 3,500 American artists during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. 

• Educational Videos Series: The Foundation of Classical Architecture

Although the ICAA has postponed planned lectures, courses, travel programs and more, we advise you to head to their website and take advantage of the abundant resources available online! These include online courses, documentaries, articles, publications and more. We particularly recommend you to watch the Education Videos Series. This one-of-a-kind 4 part educational video series is led by architectural historian Calder Loth who provides an introduction and overview of the elements of the classical language, including Greek Classicism, roman Classicism, Motifs & Details, and Classical Design Principles. Each episode is accompanied by a quiz offering the potential to earn AIA Learning Units. You can also have access to conferences and lectures on the ICAA’s website! 

• Interior Lives by The Cut 

New York Magazines offers us a tour of the most interesting interior spaces of NYC thanks to this series available on Youtube. Wendy Goodman, the design expert, guides us through the most extravagant and unusual interiors in the city, explaining us the details and the history behind each space.

Clink on the link to discover Interior Lives on Youtube.

• Design TV by SANDOW

Design TV by SANDOW, which debuts on Facebook Live Monday, March 30, will feature exclusive content from Interior Design and other SANDOW brands including Luxe Interiors + Design, Metropolis, Galerie, and ThinkLab.

“Architects, designers, and brand leaders are looking for connection and information during this difficult time and our focus, as always, is supporting the design industry,” says Adam Sandow, CEO and Founder of SANDOW. “We are introducing DesignTV by SANDOW to bring our global design community together.”

Each day, DesignTV by SANDOW will feature up to two hours of video programming, including live broadcasts with designers and industry leaders, as well as product presentations, virtual design tours, and candid interviews hosted by the editors of Interior Design, Luxe Interiors + Design, Metropolis, andGalerie. 

Click on the link to see the full schedule. 

Finding the motivation for an efficient and productive work day at home can be tough sometimes. But perhaps you should start by carving out a dedicated and comfy workspace in your home! Indeed, the design of the space should inspire creativity, motivation and help you get things done. From color combinations to natural light, you can change some elements to make a nice and positive space for your working days at home.

• The lighting & colors

Look for windows! Natural light is essential for your brain and your mental health! Set up your desk next to a window and choose nice curtains to control how much light filters through the window throughout the day. In general try to find a way to lighten your space by choosing an area with light shade walls. Even though neutral colors are better for concentrating, add some colorful shade to boost your creativity!

• The materials

Try to favor natural materials such as wooden tables and desks because they convey a sense of tranquility and connect you with nature. Add some plants and flowers as well. If you doubt it, check our article on why biophilic designs matter! 

• The furniture

Choose your furniture well, nice chairs, nice desks, nice lamps, those are the key to productivity!

The lamp is Untitled S by Ozone, check out their work here!

• The Design Trilogy: Helvetica, Objectified, Urbanized

It is the collective name of a series of three documentary films about design directed by director Gary Hustwit. In 2007 Helvetica was released based on the famous typeface of the same name, it was then followed by Objectified in 2009, a documentary about industrial design. Finally in 2011, Gary Hustwit closed the trilogy with Urbanized, focusing on architecture and urban design. In 2013, the director started a crowdfunding campaign to finance a book “Helvetica, Objectified, Urbanized : The Complete interviews” with all the interviews with his subjects that he released in 2015.

• Design is one: Lella & Massimo Vignelli 

Design is one focuses on the Vignelli team and follows Massimo and Lella careers. A series of images of Vignelli’s work flashes at the beginning of the film as a tribute to their achievements (including among others New York’s subway signage and maps, the interior of  Saint Peter’s Church at Citicorp Center, Venini lamps, branding for Knoll International, and Ford and American Airlines to cite a few examples) . And their achievements in industrial and product design, graphic and publication design, corporate identity, architectural graphics and exhibition, interior and furniture design have earned worldwide respect and numerous awards. 

• Design & Thinking

A documentary on design thinking made by Mu-Ming Tsai which shows how design thinking impacts our society, economy and business. Design Thinking can be defined as the ability to come up with creative solutions to solve complex problems. The film shares stories and insights with design leaders while exploring our society and practices in our world demonstrating how we embrace Design Thinking.

• Why Man Creates

Why Man creates is a 1968 animated documentary film that discusses the nature of creativity. Directed by Saul Bass it won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject. The film is divided into eight sections to tackle the topic of creativity : The Edifice, Fooling Around, The Process, Judgment, A Parable, Digression, The Search, and The Mark.

• The universe of Keith Haring

Filmmaker Christina Clausen released a documentary about the artist Keith Haring. In the film the legacy of Haring is resurrected through colorful archivage images and footage. Artists, friends and admirers such as Kenny Scharf and Yoko Ono pay tribute to Keith Haring. Through these interviews the film offers a reflection on a man whose impulse was to “do the work and live the life”. 

• Where architecture sleeps: The Most Stylish Hotels in the World

250 of the world’s leading architects offer tips on where to stay during vacation, work trips etc. You’ll find 1200 listings in more than 100 countries. This is a guidebook for travelling inside your home and for architecture aficionados.
The author is Sarah Miller, founding editor-in-chief of Condé Nast Traveller UK.

Order it here

• Postmodern Architecture: Less is a bore

“Less is a bore” is a quote from Postmodernist icon Robert Venturi’s  and his response to Mies van der Rohe’s dictum that ‘less is more’.  Postmodernism began in the 1970s, and is a movement which emerged as a reaction against the austerity of modern architecture, particularly in the international style.
Postmodern Architecture showcases examples of the movement around the globe.

Order it here

• Cooking in Marfa – Welcome, We’ve Been Expecting You (available April, 1st)

Not really an interior design book but this cook book is another way to discover Marfa, an art city lost in the desert. It explores the people and food of the city and its premier restaurant, The Capri with more than 80 recipes inspired by local products.
The authors are Virginia Lebermann who’s from a family of ranchers who have been in Texas for more than 100 years. She co-founded the arts organization Ballroom Marfa, and co-owns the Thunderbird Hotel and The Capri. Rocky Barnette is the chef and co-owner of The Capri.

Pre-order it here

• Interiors: the Greatest Rooms of the Century

Dive into the 400 of the world’s best living spaces created by over 300 of the most influential people in interior design. It goes beyond architects, decorators, like Elsie de Wolfe, Colefax & Fowler, fashion designers as Pierre Cardin or Coco Chanel, artists as Pablo Picasso or Peggy Guggeinheim, film stars and covers work from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present day.

Order it here

• Frank Lloyd Wright: Natural Design, Organic Architecture: Lessons for Building Green from an American Original 

This title examines the work of Frank Lloyd Wright as a leader of today’s ‘green movement’ in architecture. Frank Lloyd Wright was an innovator of eco-sensitive design generations ahead of his time. Green design and general green awareness is a major concern today, and looking at the work of Wright in this context is both timely and instructive.

Order it here

Contemporary interiors are increasingly inspired by biophilia in their approach to design. Biophilia hypothesis suggests that humans possess a natural tendency to seek connections with nature and any kind of life form. By definition interior designers use human-centered approaches to shape interiors by promoting health, safety and well-being. By using plants and flowers, interior designers connect humans with nature and therefore improve their overall well-being. Today, the majority of people spend 80% to 90% of their time indoors, living between their homes and workplaces. With this evolution in humans’ habits we developed another kind of relationship with nature and are more and more willing to embrace it and include nature in our day to day life. As interior designers embrace biophilia, they create spaces that reduce stress and nervosity while improving creativity. These rooms and spaces connecting us to nature have been proved to be a great way to boost our productivity and general well-being which is significant  in our increasingly urbanized cities and way of life. 

Thus, biophilic designs go beyond just aesthetics; they produce real benefits for humans backed by science. There is a real need especially in offices where stress and anxiety negatively impact employees and their performance. Embracing biophilic interior designs can improve people welfare, and has financial benefits.