Journal

A chronicle of people, places, happenings, and creations we admire.

ENRICO MARONE CINZANO AT QATAR MUSEUMS HOSTING ROSSANA ORLANDI'S RO'S PLASTIC PRIZE

Sustainable furniture designer Enrico Marone Cinzano has been selected as one of Rossana Orlando’s Ro Prize Finalists for 2022.

Stockholm Furniture Fair 2018 Recap

Last week’s Stockholm Furniture and Lighting Fair at the Stockholmsmässan convention center was an incredible mix of new and old.  Scandinavian makers and manufacturers both large and small brought a wide range of products from up-to-the-second design as well as the ever sought after classics from the modernist to mid-century periods. Although there were exhibitors from some 60 countries, the 'Local' brands did their best to stand out on the cutting edge.

Carl Hansen & Sons 

The venerable furniture firm created a warm, intimate environment where their classic pieces such as the 'Y' (or Wishbone) Chair by Hans Wegner could shine.  Timeless details combined with new material and color way options keep these lines desirable and fresh.

Bruno Mathsson 

The 'Mia' (Mi407) steel and leather chair in vapor blue was the hit of the Bruno Mathsson stand with supple leather and chromed steel frame that carry this classic well into the 21st century.

The Royal System | Poul Cadovius

The Royal System® by Poul Cadovius represented by Danish firm dk3 is utterly timeless with brass struts that use no fasteners supporting oak or walnut shelves that seem to defy gravity.

Claesson Koivisto Rune for Offecct

Our friends over at Claesson Koivisto Rune have created a clever new chair called 'Jacket' for Offecct.  The seat-back emulates the shape of the human shoulder and complements any article of clothing one rests upon it.

 

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Rolls Royce "Sweptail" : A One-Off Masterpiece That Cost £10M To Build

This spectacular example of contemporary coach building by automotive house Rolls-Royce harkens back to to glory years of the early 20th century where the likes of Nutting & Co., Figoni & Falaschi, Gangloff and Hooper ruled the roads of the well heeled driver that came with a chassis, an idea, and a large sum of money.  This one-off creation based on the EX103 evolved over a collaborative period of 4 years between the factory at Goodwood and a clearly dedicated customer.  The 'Sweptail' (as it's named) made its debut at the Concorso D'Eleganza at Villa d'Este on Lake Como.

Sweptail is the automotive equivalent of Haute Couture,” comments Giles Taylor, Director of Design at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. “It is a Rolls-Royce designed and hand-tailored to fit a specific customer. This customer came to the House of Rolls-Royce with an idea, shared in the creative process where we advised him on his cloth, and then we tailored that cloth to him. You might say we cut the cloth for the suit of clothes that he will be judged by.”
Inspired by the beautiful coachbuilt Rolls-Royces of the 1920s and 1930s, the customer’s desire was for a coachbuilt two seater coupé featuring a large panoramic glass roof. As a connoisseur of Rolls-Royces, he was inspired by many of his favourite cars from the early 20th Century, as well as many classic and modern yachts.
Over the course of a number of years, Taylor and his team of designers engaged with the client in a wonderfully intellectual journey as they worked together to realise the customer’s distinct vision and bring it to life. The result of this one-off coachbuild project is the completely unique Rolls-Royce ‘Sweptail’.-- Rolls Royce Public Relations

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Moncler Leica X "Edizione Moncler"

The brands Moncler and Leica are usually high on the list of unobtanium-grade objects of desire and design.  Edizione Moncler is the latest collaboration between the two companies featuring the beautiful Leica X wrapped with leatherette skin in the iconic Moncler "trois coloeurs", a white leather case and strap embossed "Moncler".  Limited edition.

Size:  Width 5.1 cm x Height 2.7 cm x Depth 3.1 cm

Moncler Leica X "Edizione Moncler" £1,952.00

OMA's Fondaco dei Tedeschi Opens in Venice

©OMA

Dutch architecture firm OMA have recently completed the renovation of the ancient and iconic Fondaco dei Tedeschi, which sits at the foot of the solid stone Ponte di Rialto in the heart of Venice.  A truly beautiful and evocative collision of architecture preserved in situ and slick, refined opportunities, piercing elements and opulent yet contemporary materials create a healthy amount of tension between old and new.  

This unique series of interventions in the form of circulation, place-making and enclosure may prove controversial to purists who feel that the nearly 820 year-old structure should have been rehabilitated without such audacious elements disturbing the scheme.  It is presumably the opinion Koolhaas and Co., that such a significant structure should emerge more than a museum or relic, but a modern machine of multi-purpose spaces, retail and culture which (one could give a nod to sustainability) and a new relevance in the modern world which it resides.

DONDOLO by Enrico Marone Cinzano

As he continues on his passionate mission of sustainability through art and design, designer Enrico Marone-Cinzano has created a clever "complication" in the form of "Dondolo" (Italian for rocking chair).  This piece, composed of car parts and various mechanisms that translate into comfort, place, and innovation has an immediate and powerful visual impact.  

The Designer's Description:

Considering I come from Torino, the car manufacturing capital, it only made sense that at some point I would extend my work to the automobile industry. I went scavenging through car junk yards and found that the aftermath of that industry produced a wealth of beautiful and extremely well made products which could be re-utilized into making furniture, hence the birth of 'Dondolo'. It's a rocking chair with a foot in the past and one in the future. Still benefitting from the factory-issue moving parts, the original leather Alfa Romeo 166 seat reclines and heats at will, powered by an eco-friendly gel based battery which can be charged with any power outlet. By means of two periscopic arms, it has the added comfort of providing a swinging, retractable work table to rest your laptop, and an efficient dimmable warm-toned LED light, housed in what was a beautiful metal FIAT 500 vintage headlight. I am adding an extra layer to the proverbial cake, by lining the bottom of the retractable table with a EMF and radiation protective fabric, which will mitigate the damage one incurs from using a computer at such proximity to the body. Lastly, for some finishing touches and to replace the molded plastic parts, I used hand embossed recovered leather from the furniture industry, replicating the pattern of car tyre marks, which look almost like natural crocodile patterns. Everything was sourced and made in Turin itself. A complex project but one that made alot of sense: back to my roots. 

To find out more about this amazing piece, head over to www.enricomaronecinzano.com

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