design-phan

Marcel Wanders in Philadelphia

2009-11-23T13:00:52Z

This weekend in Philadelphia was all about Dutch design star, Marcel Wanders, in town to accept the 2009 Design Excellence Award from Collab, the group of design professionals associated with the Philadelphia Museum of Art who are steadily growing its modern design collection. They're also raising the city's design profile by bringing another icon each year to Philadelphia to accept this award (previous years' recipients include Frank Gehry, Ingo Maurer, Florence Knoll Bassett, and Georg Jensen) and to be the subject of an accompanying exhibit.

This year's exhibit, Marcel Wanders: Daydreams, is extra special because it's the designer's first solo show in the U.S. Daydreams opened this weekend in the Collab Gallery at the Perelman Building, and it runs through June. GO SEE IT.

You'll enter the Collab Gallery through tall double curtains illustrated with the above image (Wanders wearing his "Nose" necklace) on a black background. It's a fitting entry, because the room feels like a funhouse, a verifiable playground for design junkies. When I interviewed Wanders for the New York Times' design blog, he said he hopes the exhibit will also serve as an introduction to his work for the unaffiliated. He's been designing for 20 years, and, as he told the crowd assembled Saturday night for his lecture and to see him receive his award, he plans to design for another 35.

{This picture is from Milan Design Week 2007, not from the Philadelphia exhibit.}

Wanders and his studio have been working with the Museum for a year on a highly choreographed installation of audio, video, and lighting effects that turn on and off on cue so the environment in the 2,300 square foot gallery changes continually as you walk around. The largest piece might be the gigantic Calvin Lamp (pictured above) on a base as thick as a tree trunk. It's so tall that the frilly underside of the lamp, like a demure giantess's petticoat, is too high to touch on tiptoes. Wanders said during his lecture Saturday that he envisioned a lamp aside a baby's crib that would make the baby feel protected. The lamp, he said, kept growing and growing.

In another corner, the famous Knotted Chair, in glinting gold, hangs from a giant balloon that alternates between being stark white and being a canvas for projected images of blue sky and clouds. Wanders told the group on Saturday this "mini-zeppelin" is a memorial for a friend who loved to fly and who died in a crash. There are many other pieces: his bathtub that looks like a giant, carved-out bar of soap; his tableware for KLM's inflight service; the Snotty Vase; the Egg Vase; Wallflower, a new piece that even Wanders hadn't seen before he'd arrived in Philadelphia last Thursday; and many more.

{Candlesticks from Wanders' Holiday Collection for Target, now in stores.}

Wanders bounded onstage Saturday in his grey suit and sneakers and shared his design philosophy after speaking in specific terms about Daydreams. That philosophy: Out with form and function. Too limiting. "If your house breaks down," he said, "no one takes the handle of the door because it worked so well." You take what's beautiful, what excites you. "And if we're talking about something that follows, we should wrap it up and not talk about it anymore," he continued. "These two dogmas keep us from giving more to our audience." Wanders talked about looking to the past and having respect for what's old. He strives to be between the old and the new: "I want to be between my daughter and my mother."

Finally, Wanders told the crowd that designing the exhibit for the Philadelphia Museum of Art allowed him to find a new world of expression for himself, that it helped him to understand who he is and where he is today. Philadelphia's new museum director, Timothy Rub, who was next at the podium, edified him: "You're Marcel Wanders, and you're in Philadelphia."

*p.s. The Perelman Store, the shop in the museum's Perelman Building, is now chock full of Wanders designs, some of which I included in last week's LifeStyle column:

{Click on the image to see it larger.}

LifeStyle: local designers for Design Philadelphia

2009-10-10T01:20:08Z

One of my favorite topics: Philadelphia designers. I had the chance to feature some in today's LifeStyle column as a tie-in with Design Philadelphia.

(Click on the image to see a larger version of the page.)

The outtakes:

De'Longhi teamed up with 10 designers to design 29 limited edition, laser-etched Perfecta espresso makers to be auctioned off on ebay to benefit Oxfam America. This one's by Nicole Miller. The auction began on Oct. 4 and runs through Oct. 18. Each starts at $1,800. You can bid here.

The whimsical Je t'aime Script wall decal ($28) from Center-City based The Surface Store. As part of Design Philadelphia, the company partnered with Design Within Reach to conduct a competition for local emerging designers. The challenge was to design a wall decal. The Surface Store will make and sell the decal, contributing all proceeds to CHAD, Philadelphia's Charter High School for Architecture + Design. Here's their blog post about the finalists.

benched: Corian around town for Design Philadelphia

2009-10-08T21:20:16Z

Today was a perfect day for many things: visiting Welcome House at Love Park, taking a narrated boat tour of the Schuylkill River, checking out the sample sale at the Marketplace Design Center .... what do all these things have in common? They're all part of Design Philadelphia, of course!

And so are the 14 white "Corian Bench Inventions" CH Briggs and Corian installed around Center City this past Monday and Tuesday. Each is designed by a local designer and realized by a local fabricator, and they're only around through the end of October so make sure to seek them out if you haven't already stumbled over one:

1. A-bench, designed by Kristine Shilling of EwingCole RDLA and fabricated by Solid Image Inc. [location: Schuykill Banks, beneath the Chestnut St. ramp]

2. Rock'n Chair, designed by Joanne Titcomb of Spillman Farmer Architects and created by John Kramer's Fabrication, Inc. [location: Schuylkill Banks, opposite the boat launch b/t Walnut and Chestnut]

3. Urban Skate Bench, designed by MIO and created by John Kramer's Fabrication, Inc. [location: Schuylkill Banks, beneath the Walnut St. Bridge]

4. Permutation, designed by Andrew Simmons of Francis Cauffman and created by Allegheny Solid Surface Technologies [location: Schuylkill Banks, near the Locust St. entrance]

5. Leaf, designed by Rich Killeen, Robert Bray, Courtney Moorhead and Suzanne Wright of Granary Associates and created by Eastern Surfaces, Inc. [location: 3 Parkway Plaza, outside Cafe Cret at 16th and Arch]

6. Leg-Go (in the background), designed by Shannon Cole of EwingCole and created by Henry H. Ross & Son, Inc.

6. Milk, designed by Todd Tully Danner of ArQitecture and created by McGrory Inc. [location: the wee pocket park b/t 17th and 18th and Chestnut and Ranstead]

DuPont's goal was to show that Corian is a flexible design material that can be contoured, sandblasted, routed, carved, laser-etched, etc. until it no longer resembles your grandmother's vanity counter. I think they proved it—with the help of some brilliant local designers. Hopefully the benches will stay put—the powers that be are looking for a way to gift them to the city.

Which is your favorite? For me it's a toss-up between the giant Leg-O outside Cafe Cret for its playfulness and the ice-cube shaped Rock'n Chair on the riverbank. It rocks, but you have to put some muscle into it.

hotel palomar: philly's first kimpton

2009-09-24T01:36:48Z

To truly achieve world-class city status, a metropolis needs at least a handful of sophisticated boutique hotels. Philly's getting another when the Hotel Palomar opens mid-October. I had a chance to tour the refurbished Architects Building by Paul Cret at 17th and Sansom, where the hotel and restaurant reside, earlier this week so I snapped some pics:

Part of the brand identity of the Kimpton's Palomar hotels is "Art in Motion." In this Palomar, much of the art has to do with either Philadelphia or architecture. The blown-up scribblings behind the reception desk are the scribblings of two different architects. There are a few Philadelphia artists represented in the hotel, including Whitney Babin and Kimberly Brickley, but in a city so rich with talented artists, there could certainly be more.

Good old Ben has his place, as he should, keeping six watchful eyes on guests as they check in and out. Perhaps he's thinking of a penny saved ... rooms start at $159 and climb way up to $2,500/night for the presidential suite.

Artist Donna Czapiga will periodically refresh the drawings (chalkings?) on the chalkboard wall in the restaurant's lounge area. The restaurant, Square 1682 (named for the year William Penn issued his plan for this green country towne) is located on the former site of the AIA Bookstore, so it's impossible not to look at the wine storage area and think, oh, that's where the children's section used to be....

Speaking of presidential suites, that $2,500 a night buys you access to a stunner of a bathroom. This is just one small part of it — there's also an enormous wet room with an elevated tub. That dark square in the mirror above the sinks is a television. You know, in case you're afraid you might miss a minute of Mad Men.

And, fittingly, the view from the presidential suite is a bird's eye of the skyline and of some choice Philadelphia architecture. That patch of green in the distance in the top photo is Rittenhouse Square. In the bottom photo, you can spot the signage for Continental Midtown if you look closely.

The Morristown, N.J. office of Gensler and California-based Dayna Lee of Powerstrip Studio restored many Art Deco elements, including brass motifs on the facade, original crown moulding and paneling in the architects' library, and one highly unique elevator bank. It's the greenest Kimpton — they're shooting for silver LEED certification.

Oh! And I almost forgot two very important elements: bedding by Frette and bath amenities by L'Occitane. Welcome, Palomar. If you're looking for more local artists, check out Inliquid.

Felt-a-licious lifestyle for fall

2009-09-19T15:13:41Z

Here's the page I put together for the Philadelphia Inquirer's September issue of I Mag, a glossy insert that's sent to zip codes of a certain ilk.

Isn't it pretty? Click on it for a larger version.

For more felt fabulosity, there's some great info on the use of felt around the world as a designing and building material on this blog that accompanied the Cooper Hewitt's "Fashioning Felt" exhibit last spring.

Another cool link is the website for the Queen of Felt, Mary-Ann Williams, the German-based designer who invented double-faced felt. She's responsible for the awesomely tactile pillow I included in the page above and for many more wonderful designs. Enter her "Felten Empire" here.

Also check out a) the entire collection by Boston-based duo, Etcetera Media, designers of the Bun Bowl; and b) the revelatory SoftBowls by Philly's own Mio Culture, made at a local hat factory.

usted opas etiketa, por favor

2009-09-16T16:12:12Z

I felt it made sense to publish part 2 of my book-designs-around-the-world post (see part 1 here) during this week of politicians blurting out of turn and pop stars hating on civility. Here's my 2003 book, How To Behave, as interpreted by several cultures who all apparently suffer from their own bad-manner strains (take heart, America):

1. Spain. I speak French (un peu). Can anyone translate this for me?

2. Finland. Pretty straightforward.

3. Russia. What exactly is going on in that illustration? I hate it when parasites mistreat one another.

3b. Said parasite, up close.

And the original design, by lovely and talented Old City publisher, Quirk Books—the masterminds behind several publishing blockbusters, including the Worst-Case Scenario Guides and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

End of week/weekend guide

2009-09-10T16:55:24Z

I hardly ever do these, but my inbox was filling up with so many fun, designy things to do right now and over the weekend, I figured I'd post a quickie guide:

1. SHOP a sample sale:

Philly textile designer Kevin O'Brien's sample sale to benefit PAWS started this morning and goes through Saturday. On sale are pillows, scarves, robes, and bedding at 70% off retail prices; 15% goes to PAWS (Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society). O'Brien's signature aesthetic is Art Nouveau-esque in printed and burnt velvet. Once you become acquainted with his style, you'll start spotting his stuff all over the place, including in Anthropologie, Lisa Reisman, and Barneys.

The deets:

Where: Baltzell design Studio in Northern Liberties, 919 N. 5th St.

When: Till 9 today; 11-9, tomorrow; 12-5, Saturday.

2. DRIVE BY a lace fence:

Demakersvan installed their lace fence for Lace In Translation, the exhibit that opens September 24. The fence is a gentle arc connecting the parking lot at the Design Center at Philadelphia University to Henry Avenue. From afar, as observed by the Center's Executive Director Hilary Jay, it looks like a ribbon of fabric. Up close, it looks like coated steel wire "embroidered" into something functional. Here's more about the designer and directions to the Center.

3. RUMMAGE at a flea:

I'd do it in rain, snow or sleet, but everyone else seems to agree that fall weather is the perfect weather for flea-marketing. There's a big flea on Saturday around Eastern State Penitentiary in Fairmount, from 9 to 5. And/or, check out one of my favorites, Shupp's Grove, where it's painting/prints/sculpture weekend. Of course, if you just happen to be in Paris, the fleas at Saint Ouen are the best place to spot a 5,000-euro cabinet. I just adapted a magazine story I wrote on the Paris flea markets for a blog, The City Traveler. (The photo above is one I snapped à Paris.)

4. WAVE a paddle:

In Lambertville, at Sollo/Rago's Real Modern Auction this Saturday. This Paul McCobb/Calvin breakfront cabinet (estimate: $2,000-$4,000) is just the thing to show off those flea-market finds. The auction action starts at 11 a.m.

5. LEARN TO arrange like a pro

Beautiful Blooms' floral design workshops at their gorgeous new space on Liberties Walk in Northern Liberties officially start this Saturday, with a three-hour workshop called "Urban Vase." (The pic above is of a Beautiful Blooms design.) Here's a link to their workshop schedule.

Happy almost weekend!

A chair for all times, moods, and rooms

2009-09-04T19:34:03Z

Paulo Mendes da Rocha's Paulistano Chair seems ubiquitous and timeless, so it's surprising to learn it wasn't introduced to the US market until 2006. (It was designed in 1957 and resembles some Bauhaus classics.)

The chair, constructed of a continuous 17-foot piece of stainless steel, morphs according to its slipcover:

Bold and sunny in orange cotton.

À la mode in Missoni.

Classic in buttery leather.

And happy(!) and handhewn in Philadelphia designer Adam Garcia's Optimism Script cover, a pattern of positive words and motivational sayings in hand-drawn script: an antidote to the overall queasiness of current times and a warm, welcoming contrast to the chair's steely modernism.

Garcia's design came out on top in Design Within Reach's recent "Paulistano Uncovered" contest.

What if you could change your personality as easily as this chair?

PIFS goes dutch (auction)

2009-09-04T12:27:50Z

This year the Philadelphia Invitational Furniture Show is trying something new and different: an online Dutch auction of exhibitors' pieces.

In a live Dutch auction, the auctioneer starts high (at the appraised or estimated price), then calls out lower and lower numbers until someone in the crowd bites. In an online Dutch auction, the price decreases each week . A bidder claims a week/amount, and if no one claims a higher one, they win when that week approaches. Here's a bidding demo. Everyone who bids automatically gets free tickets to the show in March.

This pretty little accent lamp by Raul Casas, worth $175, just went for $140.

No one has bid yet on this one, also by Casas, made from Bolivian rosewood and handmade paper from Thailand. It's worth $265 and is now down to $230.

A blanket Chest by Bill Russell, worth $800, is up for grabs for $500.

As artisans begin to register this fall for the show (in March at the Cruise Ship Terminal at the Naval Yard), Director Joshua Markel expects many to elect to put up pieces for auction. I'll definitely keep checking back to see what's new, but now's a great chance to get a deal on one of the current lots as the auction site is in early stages and is largely undiscovered.

LifeStyle: College-bound

2009-08-31T12:12:55Z

Moving vans and packs of freshman roaming Center City can only mean one thing: They're baaack! (The college kids, not the ghosts). Here's my back-to-college column from Friday's Inquirer (click on the image to see it larger):

And one outtake: the adorable Meow Wall Decal by Elly Nelly, to remind you of the kitty you left behind: