In this video, Dezeen previews the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute's latest blockbuster fashion exhibition Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion, following last night's Met Gala.

The exhibition explores the concept of rebirth and renewal in fashion, showcasing the archival and restoration processes that take place behind the scenes of the Met's Costume Institute.

The exhibition brings together historical and contemporary pieces from the museum's archive

The show also uses nature as a visual metaphor to explore ideas around the transience of fashion.

In addition to bringing to life the behind-the-scenes work of fashion conservation, the exhibition also explores the sensory aspects of fashion, with visitors being encouraged to smell aromas of floral motifs, feel the textures of different embroideries, and talk to historical figures through the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

The title of the exhibition is derived from the "sleeping beauties" of the institute's archives – pieces that are too fragile to be displayed on mannequins. Instead, the exhibition uses AI, animation and X-rays to bring these historical garments to life for visitors.

Approximately 220 garments and accessories spanning four centuries will be on display as part of the show.

Sleeping Beauties will be open to the public from the 10th of May, following the annual Met Gala fundraiser, which took place yesterday and celebrated the exhibition's debut.

Celebrities interpreted the theme of The Garden of Time on the red carpet, with celebrities like Zendaya, Nicki Minaj and Gigi Hadid sporting floral motifs.

The exhibition was organised by Andrew Bolton, curator in charge of The Costume Institute, with photographer Nick Knight acting as creative consultant for the exhibition.

Exhibition design is by architecture studio Leong Leong in collaboration with The Met's Design Department.

Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion takes place from 10 May to 2 September at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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Ecco hosted a workshop during Milan design week inviting visitors to customise its latest leather innovations with natural dyes, as captured in a video produced for the brand by Dezeen.

The workshop took place as a part of Material Matters, an exhibition hosted by the footwear and lifestyle brand at cultural space and design store 10 Corso Como.

The workshop was part of Ecco's exhibition in Milan

The workshop was organised by Ecco in collaboration with its material innovation wing Ecco Leather and its At Kollektive fashion collaborations initiative.

During the workshops, visitors could customise panels and sheets of organic light pink leather developed by Ecco. Handmade natural dyes, petals and paint were used to create imprints and patterns on the material.

Participants could also use tools such as heat guns, airbrushing guns and stamps to transform the leather, which has a porous texture that allows it to be easily dyed.

The exhibition space also featured design objects made using Ecco's translucent Apparition leather, including large dark-grey curtains and a set of tables and chairs upholstered in the material.

The Apparition range was released in ten different colours. According to Ecco, other translucent leathers are stiff and inflexible, whereas Apparition has lasting pliability and can be moulded into different forms.

Also displayed around the exhibition space were examples of polyurethane-cast seating and leather objects created by Ecco collaborators.

Material Matters took place at the Capsule Plaza fair, held at 10 Corso Como in Milan's Porta Garabaldi district.

Material Matters was open to the public from 16 to 21 April. See our Milan design week 2024 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks that took place throughout the week.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen for Ecco as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen's partnership content here.

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Home fitness brand Technogym has invited 40 international designers and artists to reimagine its exercise bench for its Milan design week exhibition, which is captured in this video produced by Dezeen.

To celebrate its 40th anniversary, Technogym asked 40 leading designers including Nendo, Patricia Urquiola and Rolf Sachs to reinterpret the brand's weight storage bench.

Titled Design to Move, the exhibition takes place at Technogym's three-storey flagship store in Milan.

Top image: Patricia Urquiola's reinterpretation of the bench. The exhibition showcases Technogym's product range.

Customised designs range from padded seating and colourful decals to sleek, metallic finishes. Swiss designer Sachs eschewed traditional weights all together and replaced them with whimsical elements such as a miniature statue of David, a stiletto shoe and an hourglass.

The special edition benches will be available for purchase after the show's run, with some being auctioned in collaboration with auction house Sotheby's. All sales proceeds from the items will be donated to UNICEF.

The show was conceived by Italian designer Giulio Cappellini and curated by Bruna Roccasalva, artistic director of Fondazione Furla to explore the connection between design, style and wellness.

Other designers invited to redesign the exercise bench include Italian architects Antonio Citterio, Piero Lissoni and Michele Bönan, as well as interior designer Kelly Hoppen and Italian designer Elena Salmistraro.

The exhibition will run until the end of Milan design week on 21 April.

Founded in 1983 by Nerio Alessandri, Technogym is a fitness, wellness, sports and health brand that specialises in smart fitness equipment.

Design to Move is open to the public at Technogym Milano, Via Durini, 1 from 16 to 21 April. See our Milan design week 2024 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen for Technogym as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen's partnership content here.

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Czech glass-making brand Lasvit has unveiled an outdoor installation made from fused glass at Milan design week, shown in this video produced for the brand by Dezeen.

Titled Porta, the installation was created by Lasvit art director Maxim Velcovsky and forms part of the brand's Re/Creation exhibition at Palazzo Isimbardi in Milan.

The installation is part of Lasvit's Re/Creation exhibition in Milan

The installation encompasses a maze of large glass panels created using an artisanal fused glass method.

In this technique, glass is heated into a molten state and is then poured over a hand-crafted mould. The liquid glass naturally spreads and settles under its own weight and gravity, which determines its unique organic textures within the material.

The panels used in Velcovsky's installation were created in Europe's largest glass kiln. They were designed to demonstrate the brand's technical prowess and to create a space for visitors to relax in.

"Glass becomes a 'canvas' for the artist and gives the opportunity to create relief surfaces and surfaces of large dimensions," Velcovsky told Dezeen.

"When making glass, you feel like you are on a beach, where you can draw your ideas in the sand and create an infinite number of images, structures and textures. These ideas are then embedded in the glass and remain on the surface in relief," he continued.

The exhibition also includes a new lighting collection by Swedish studio Claesson Koivisto Rune comprising table lamps and a ceiling light.

The collection, called Nebula, features a series of bulb-like table lamps in two sizes that use a diffusing glass lens to transmit light upwards.

Other pieces within the exhibition include an installation by Lasvit senior designer Maria Culenova, which uses layers of folded plywood and copper to create custom lighting modules, as well as a diluted lighting collection by Canadian design duo Yabu Pushelberg.

The exhibition architecture and design were created by multidisciplinary design firm Cirque Menu.

Re/Creation is open to the public at the Palazzo Isimbardi, Corso Monforte, 35, from 16 to 21 April at this year's Milan design week. See our Milan design week 2024 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen for Lasvit as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen's partnership content here. 

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Cultural institutions Triennale Milano and Fondation Cartier are hosting a retrospective show of Italian designer Alessandro Mendini at this year's Milan design week, showcased in this video produced by Dezeen for Triennale.

The exhibition takes place at Trienalle Milano

Triennale Milano partnered with the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain to host the exhibition, which explores Mendini's work across the fields of architecture, art, design and theory.

Titled Io Sono Un Drago (I am a dragon), the show brings together over 400 different works and intends to explore Mendini's philosophical approach to the world around him.

Mendini was an Italian architect and designer known for his role as a key figure in the radical design and postmodernist movements of the 1960s and '70s.

Through his 60-year career he created some of the most iconic design pieces of the 20th century, such as the Proust armchair, which combined baroque references with pointillist patterns. Mendini passed away at the age of 87 in February 2019.

Split into six thematic sections, the show looks back on Mendini's life and work, with the first section, titled Identikit, showcasing a series of self-portraits Mendini created over the course of his life.

The following sections explore aspects of his work including his firm Atelier Mendini, which designed buildings such as the Groninger Museum and the Arts metro stations in Naples, as well as exploring his research in radical design theory.

The last section of the exhibition consists of three immersive installations that Mendini created towards the end of his life, which play with the concepts of dreams and nightmares.

As part of the wider exhibition, French designer Phillipe Starck will also debut an immersive installation created in homage to Mendini during the run of the design week.

Titled What? A homage to Alessandro Mendini, the installation aims to take visitors into a sensory journey through Mendini's subconscious.

Speaking on the installation, Starck said "before being a human, [Mendini] was an idea, a sensation, an osmotic vibration that I wanted to recapture through the installation, conceived as an immersive experience in Alessandro Mendini's brain".

Starck's installation will be located in Triennale Milano's Impluvium space.

Io Sono Un Drago is open to the public at the Trienalle Milano 13 April to 13 October. What? A homage to Alessandro Mendini runs from the 16 April- 13 October. See our Milan design week 2024 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen for Triennale as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen's partnership content here. 

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Curator Lotte Johnson discusses the transformative power of textiles in this video produced by Dezeen for the Barbican's latest exhibition.

Titled Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art, the exhibition examines how textiles have been employed to explore themes spanning power, oppression, gender and belonging.

It features over 100 works that make use of textile, fibre and thread from over 50 artists from across the globe, spanning from the 1960s to the present day.

The exhibition is designed to challenge the perception of textiles being solely domestic or craft practices and instead features textile works that relate a story of resistance and rebellion as well as pieces that present narratives of emancipation and joy.

Johnson explained that textiles offer a meaningful medium to express personal and political issues due to their tactile nature and intimate connection to daily life.

"Textiles are one of the most under-examined mediums in art history and in fact history itself," Johnson said. "They are an intrinsic part of our everyday lives. When we're born, we're shrouded in a piece of fabric. Everyday we wrap ourselves in textiles," she continued.

"They're really this very intimate, tactile part of our lives and therefore perhaps the most intrinsic, meaningful way to express ourselves."

The exhibition is structured into six thematic sections. The first, called Subversive Stitch, presents works that challenge binary conceptions of gender and sexuality.

The section includes feminist artist Judy Chicago's Birth Project, which vividly depicts the glory, pain and mysticism of giving birth, as well as a piece from South African artist Nicholas Hlobo, which, despite initially appearing as a painting, is made using ribbon and leather stitched into a canvas.

Another section of the exhibition is titled Bearing Witness, which brings together artists who employ textiles to confront and protest political injustices and systems of violent oppression.

Included in this section are tapestries by Mexican artist Teresa Margolles that commemorate the lives of individuals including Eric Garner and Jadeth Rosano López.

Garner was an African-American man killed in 2014 by NYPD police officer Daniel Pantaleo, who put Garner into a chokehold during arrest. López was a seventeen-year old-girl assassinated in Panama City.

Margolles used fabric that had been placed in contact with the victims' deceased bodies and collaborated with embroiderers from their respective local communities to create the tapestries.

The Wound and Repair sections includes work from American artist and activist Harmony Hammond's Bandaged Grid series, in which layered fabric is used to evoke imagery reminiscent of an injured body.

While violence and brutality are key themes examined in the exhibition, it also showcases how textiles can be used to create narratives of hope. The final, most expansive section of the exhibition is titled Ancestral Threads, which encompasses works created to inspire a sense of optimism and reconnect with ancestral practices.

"This section not only explores artists processing exploitative and violent colonial and imperialist histories, but also celebrates the artists who are re-summoning and relearning ancient knowledge systems to imagine a different kind of future," Johnson explained.

Canadian multimedia artist Tau Lewis's work titled The Coral Reef Preservation Society is a patchwork assemblage of recycled fabrics and seashells including fragments of textured denim.

The work pays homage to the enslaved women and children thrown overboard in the Middle Passage, the historical transportation route used during the Atlantic slave trade. These women and children have been reimagined as underwater sea creatures to transform the narrative into one of regeneration.

A large installation by Chilean artist Cecilia Vicuña titled Quipu Austral is situated towards the end of the exhibition. The installation takes the form of billowing ribbons hanging from the ceiling.

Vicuña references quipu, a form of recording used by a number cultures in Andean South America. Quipu was a ancient writing system which used knotted textile cords to communicate information.

Other sections in the exhibition include Fabric of Everyday, which explores the daily uses of textiles, as well as Borderlands, which examines how textiles have been used to challenge ideas around belonging.

These sections feature works such as Shelia Hicks' colourful woven bundles and Margarita Cabrera's soft sculpture cacti crafted from reclaimed US border patrol uniforms.

"We hope that people might come out of this exhibition feeling invigorated and moved by the stories of resilience and rebellion embedded in the work but also hope and emancipation," Johnson said.

"I hope that the show might inspire people to pick up a needle and thread themselves and use it to express their own lived experience."

The show is a partnership between the Barbican and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam and was co-curated by Barbican curators Johnson, Wells Fray-Smith and Diego Chocano, in collaboration with Amanda Pinatih from the Stedelijk.

Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art is at the Barbican Centre until 26 May 2024. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen for the Barbican Centre as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen's partnership content here.

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Continuing our review of 2023, we round up the top 10 Dezeen videos of the year, which include exclusive interviews with Ai Weiwei and Sou Fujimoto, as well as collaborations with the Barbican Centre and the Serpentine Galleries.

Ai Weiwei: Making Sense

In our first selected video, Dezeen hosted an exclusive interview between Chinese artist and political activist Ai Weiwei and Design Museum curator Justin McGuirk.

The conversation marked the opening of Weiwei's first design-focussed exhibition to date, which ran at the Design Museum in London from April to July this year.

During the interview, Weiwei told McGuirk that the exhibition explores design in a multifaceted way.

The exhibition, he explained, is about "how humans make definitions about our life, our memories and how our design acts relate to our past, our history and also [how they] relate to current personal issues or political issues".

Find out more about Ai Wei Wei: Making Sense ›

Lina Ghotmeh's Serpentine Pavilion 2023

In this exclusive video produced by Dezeen in partnership with the Serpentine Galleries, architect Lina Ghotmeh unveiled her 2023 Serpentine Pavilion titled À table.

Ghotmeh told Dezeen how she aimed to create a space where people could connect with one another. She noted how she took inspiration from cultural gathering spaces from across the world, such as Malian togunas, when designing the structure.

Ghotmeh is a Lebanese-born architect, now based in Paris. Her recent work includes the Hermès Manufacture in Normandy, and the Stone Garden tower in Beirut, for which she was awarded the architecture project of the year at Dezeen Awards 2021.

Find out more about Ghotmeh's pavilion ›

Concrete Icons video series with Holcim

This year Dezeen continued our six-part Concrete Icons video series in partnership with building materials company Holcim. In this instalment, Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto told Dezeen how his stacked-cube learning centre was one of the most significant projects of his career.

Named The Square, the building is a higher-education learning centre for the University of St Gallen in Switzerland.

The exterior of the building is made of a series of cubic volumes contained within a lattice of white frames. The stacked cubes, which form both the facade and interior walls, were made from floor-to-ceiling glass designed to blend in with the surrounding residential area.

Watch more of the Concrete Icons video series with Holcim ›

Resolve Collective at the Barbican

Dezeen teamed up with the Barbican Centre in London early in the year to create a video series showcasing the work of interdisciplinary design studio Resolve Collective.

Created and led by Melissa Haniff and brothers Seth and Akil Scafe-Smith, Resolve Collective created an architectural installation in the Barbican's Curve Gallery that aimed to reimagine the traditional role of institutions.

Visitors were encouraged to sit, play and climb on the reclaimed materials that made up the piece. Materials were later given away to the public in a "closing-down sale", in order for local communities to use them to create their own artworks and meeting spaces.

The installation was accompanied by a programme split into four seasons, which gathered a series of artists, musicians and local organisers to reflect on the themes of infrastructural practice, knowledge sharing, and joy.

Find out more about Resolve Collective ›

Dezeen Awards China architecture project of the year 

To celebrate the launch of this year's Dezeen Awards China, Dezeen created a series of videos profiling the winners of the architecture and interiors categories. The first video interviewed Hua Li, founder of Trace Architecture Office (TAO), which won the overall category prize for the Haikou Jiangdong Huandao Experimental School.

TAO aimed to create a "a miniature pastoral city" that stimulates creativity and interaction, in a departure from conventional exam-oriented learning.

The high school also includes a student dormitory and an 18-class kindergarten, with a total construction area of 64,700 square metres.

Find out more about the Dezeen Awards China winners ›

Dezeen Awards China interiors project of the year

In the second of our Dezeen Award China series, Dezeen spoke to designer Zhan Di from FOG Architecture. The design studio was named the winner of the interiors project of the year category.

A 280-year-old courtyard house in Beijing was transformed into an open-to-the-public commercial space that connects the surrounding neighbourhoods.

To showcase the traditional structure of the building, the studio replaced the street-facing facade with glass, opening up the building to pedestrians. The original triangular timber roof trusses and wooden columns were uncovered to give character to the space.

Find out more about the Dezeen Awards China winners ›

Dezeen and Bentley's Future Luxury Retail Design Competition

In this video, judges and winners discuss highlights from Dezeen and Bentley's Future Luxury Retail Competition, which was filmed at Bentley's headquarters in Crewe, UK.

Dezeen teamed up with Bentley to host a global design competition that challenged architects and designers to define the future of luxury retail.

The first-placed winner of the competition was Finnish design agency Ultra for its proposal called Bentley Intercontinental Pavilion. The proposal imagined a series of temporary pavilions which would house an exclusive range of Bentley cars.

Second and third place were awarded to designers Daniel Czyszczoń and Meredith O'Shaughnessy respectively.

Find out more about Dezeen and Bentley's Future Luxury Retail Design Competition ›

Dutch Design Week 2023

Dezeen filmed a series of four videos at this year's Dutch Design Week, the largest design event in northern Europe, featuring highlights of the various events, exhibitions and installations taking place throughout the week.

The first video in the series featured the Design Academy Eindhoven student graduate show, and showcased projects such as a running shoe designed for use on Mars and a sensory water-based installation.

Other videos in the series took in an exhibition exploring the future of space farming, biotechnology at the Jalila Essaïdi- founded BioArt Laboratories and futuristic wearable technology.

Watch more of the Dutch Design Week series › 

Chatsworth House: Mirror Mirror 

The next video on the list saw the Dezeen team film at Chatsworth House, a 17th-century stately home in Derbyshire.

The video explored the institution's exhibition Mirror Mirror: Reflections on Design at Chatsworth, which brought together a collection of contemporary furniture and objects intended to respond to Chatsworth House and its gardens.

The exhibition featured works including a throne-like seat made from musical instruments by Korean designer Jay Sae Jung Oh and an installation of monolithic furniture made from bronze and stone by British designer Faye Toogood.

Find out more about Mirror Mirror › 

The (W)rapper 

The last video in our top 10 roundup showcases the (W)rapper, an unusual office tower in Los Angeles.

"The core is pulled out of the building," explained Eric Owen Moss, the architect behind the building. "What holds the building up and prevents it from falling down are the steel ribbons."

"The technical aspect of the welds alone, because of the unusual shapes and so forth, was a real science in itself," said MATT Construction CEO Steve Matt, who also spoke to Dezeen for the film.

The tower is part of 35-year revitalisation plan for a former industrial and manufacturing neighbourhood in central Los Angeles.

Find out more about The (W)rapper ›

2023 review

This article is part of Dezeen's roundup of the biggest and best news and projects in architecture, design, interior design and technology from 2023.

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In the fifth episode of our Climate Salon podcast series with SketchUp, architects discuss the importance of designing with community resilience and empowerment in mind.

"Designing resilient communities", the fifth episode of the podcast, explores how urban design can positively benefit and strengthen social groups in the context of climate change.

Listen to the episode below or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts to catch the whole series.

Hosted by Dezeen's design and environment reporter Jennifer Hahn, the panel featured software brand Trimble SketchUp's product manager Aris Komninos, building consultancy Arup's associate director for cities and global leader for social value and equity Sara Candiracci and charity The Glass House's design champion Jake Stephenson-Bartley.

Resilient design is often thought of in terms of response to immediate crises, such as natural disasters. However, the panel emphasised the importance of laying the preliminary groundwork for this resilience through strong and integrated social structures.

"What is important is to really promote the many systems that contribute to a resilient community, which is not only the capacity to respond to disaster, but the overall social systems and also the sense of togetherness and connection, which is essential in a time of need," said Candiracci.

"There's not one singular definition [of resilience]," added Stephenson-Bartley.

"Resilience itself is rooted in wellbeing, imagination and foresight. So supporting the wellbeing of individuals and communities, so that they can participate collectively or as individuals in placemaking," he said.

"It's a way of showing communities that they're important, and that they have a role to play in decision-making and planning," added Candiracci.

The panel also discussed the challenges that architects and individuals face when trying to implement community-focused work.

"There is an effort to create more scale interventions which benefit communities. For instance [Barcelona] is doing an amazing job in terms of adopting desegregated data to inform transportation," said Candiracci.

"But I think there is a need to do this at scale, so it becomes not just something nice to do, but something that becomes part of a new way of designing," she said.

"Often the larger kind of socio-economic and political structures become barriers towards time and resource being given to supporting communities being resilient," explained Stephenson-Bartley.

"Even within the same city, between two different urban blocks that are next to each other, you will have those kinds of inequalities," added Komninos.

"If you really look at the granular level of the data, it is actually also very telling how critical it is to adopt a more on-the-ground approach when we design, and not a top-down approach," he continued.

The panel agreed that changing practices regarding resilience at scale should involve introducing education on the topic at a much earlier stage than is currently the norm.

"The key thing to do is to talk to users every week", said Komninos. "If you don't do that you're completely cut off. I realised, as a designer, I was not doing that at all. To me, this is a mindset shift that needs to happen in design".

"This idea of building resilient communities and looking at cities as a whole emerges in different places," he continued. "But again, this is taught at a very late level to a very small cohort of people. This needs to be something that is taught at a much earlier level."

"I think it's important to think about how we can embed these topics, these conversations, in alternative routes beyond university," added Stephenson-Bartley, and proposed apprenticeships as a platform for young people to start thinking about resilience.

The conversation is the fifth episode of Dezeen and SketchUp's Climate Salon, a podcast series exploring the role that architects and designers can play in tackling climate change.

Across six episodes, Dezeen is speaking to architects, designers and engineers to explore how to better collaborate across their respective disciplines to create a more cohesive response to climate change.

Produced by Dezeen's in-house creative team, Climate Salon episodes will be released over the coming months, along with opinion pieces by SketchUp relating to the topics featured in the series.

The fifth episode is now available to download. Subscribe now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts to make sure you don't miss an episode.

SketchUp is a piece of 3D design software used to model architectural and interior design projects, product designs, civil and mechanical engineering and more. It is owned by construction technology company Trimble.

Partnership content

The Climate Salon podcast is produced by Dezeen in partnership with SketchUp. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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French designer Audrey Large has been named emerging designer of the year at the Dezeen Awards 2023 ceremony.

The Designers of the Year category rewards the best emerging and established talent across architecture, interiors and design. It recognises those whose innovative work has made a notable impact on the industry.

Large was awarded the prize at the Dezeen Awards 2023 party last week, which was hosted in partnership with Bentley.

 

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Audrey Large was named emerging designer of the year at Dezeen Awards 2023

Large is a French interdisciplinary designer based in Rotterdam, who works at the intersection of digital and object design.

She completed her master's in Social Design at Design Academy Eindhoven in 2017 and later went on to join the Jan Van Eyck Academy artist residency programme in 2019.

Large is known for presenting furniture and objects with swirling organic forms that are drawn by hand before being realised using a 3D printer.

She describes her design approach as "bridging image-manipulation techniques and digital manufacturing to create otherworldly objects that challenge the perception of reality."

Large took home the award at the Dezeen Awards 2023 ceremony last week, which was held at Shoreditch Electric Light Station in London and was attended by shortlisted studios along with past and present judges.

"Large has developed a unique visual language that involves 3D-printing objects based on hand drawings, which she digitally distorts," the judges said.

"Ranging from furniture and homeware to abstract sculptures, the resulting pieces blur the line between art and design, digital and handcraft," they continued.

"After putting on her biggest solo show to date at this year's Milan design week with Nilufar Gallery, the judges are excited to see what boundaries Large will push next."

Notable projects by Large include Implicit Surfaces, a series of 3D-printed sculptures informed by digital graphics that aim to explore the relationship between both the virtual and physical worlds.

The collection, which was was on show at Nilufar Gallery during this year's Milan design week, features iridescent purple, green and yellow amorphous sculptures that resemble molten lava.

Large has also designed a digitally sculpted water fountain called Dusky Waters of Dripping Disasters.

The sculpture features surfaces that evolve over time, transitioning into varying shades of blue as ink-infused water flows along its contours.

Other work includes the lighting series Moments of Transfer, in which textures from images are applied to 3D-printed lamps using water-dipping processes.

The process involves objects being dipped into water with a layer of floating ink or paint, which adheres to the object's surface to enable the application of intricate patterns or textures onto the object's surface.

Large was up against four other designers in the emerging designer of the year category, including London-based designer Rio Kobayashi and design studio Johanna Seelemann.

The Designers of the Year were nominated and shortlisted by Dezeen Awards judges and Dezeen's editorial team.

A total of 31 studios, spanning 14 countries including South Africa, India, Nigeria and Mexico, were shortlisted for awards in six distinct Designers of the Year categories.

Each category's winner will be showcased in an exclusive video produced by Dezeen and sponsored by Bentley. The videos will be unveiled on Dezeen from November 30 to December 7.

Dezeen Awards 2023

Dezeen Awards celebrates the world's best architecture, interiors and design. Now in its sixth year, it has become the ultimate accolade for architects and designers across the globe. The annual awards are in partnership with Bentley Motors, as part of a wider collaboration that will see the brand work with Dezeen to support and inspire the next generation of design talent.

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Spanish architect and designer Patricia Urquiola has been named interior designer of the year at the Dezeen Awards 2023 ceremony.

The Designers of the Year category rewards the best emerging and established talent across architecture, interiors and design. It recognises creatives whose innovative work has made a notable impact on the industry.

Urquiola was awarded the prize at the Dezeen Awards 2023 party last week, which was hosted in partnership with Bentley.

 

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Patricia Urquiola was named interior designer of the year at Dezeen Awards 2023

Born in Oviedo, Spain, Urquiola pursued her architectural education at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and later at the Politecnico di Milano in Milan, where she is currently based.

Throughout her studies, she was mentored by Italian architect and designer Achille Castiglioni.

Establishing her eponymous studio in 2001, Urquiola has since assumed the role of art director at the Italian furniture manufacturer Cassina, which she has held since 2015.

Urquiola regularly collaborates with various design companies, including Moroso, Kvadrat, Boffi and Flos.

The architect describes her design approach as "merging humanistic, technological and social approaches to find unexpected connections between the familiar and the unexplored."

She took home the award at the Dezeen Awards 2023 ceremony last week, which was held at Shoreditch Electric Light Station in London and attended by shortlisted studios along with past and present judges.

"Recent projects have demonstrated a sensitive response to both contemporary and heritage environments, while adding Urquiola's signature colour contradictions, rich textures, flourishes of greenery and a strong dialogue between craft and the industrial," the judges said.

"Urquiola works across furniture and products, as well as architectural projects, yet it was her studio's interior projects that attracted the judges."

Urquiola was also selected as the winner of the hotel and short stay interior of the year category for Six Senses Rome, in which Urquiola converted a historic Roman palazzo into a luxury hotel.

Originally constructed in the 15th century, the space underwent a restoration by Urquiola, which uncovered a grand central staircase and a UNESCO-listed facade.

As a nod to the city's history, the designer incorporated plasterwork crafted from an ancient Roman building material called cocciopesto in the rooms, in which fragments of earthenware or brick were blended with lime and sand.

Urquiola also recently designed an exhibition to showcase the archive of Cassina's iMaestri furniture collection to mark its 50th anniversary, which took place at the Palazzo Broggi during Milan design week.

The exhibition featured pieces from renowned designers such as Charlotte Perriand, Le Corbusier and Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

Urquiola was up against four other shortlisted designers in the interior designer of the year category, including Copenhagen-based designer David Thulstrup and Stockholm design studio Halleroed.

The Designers of the Year were nominated and shortlisted by Dezeen Awards judges and Dezeen's editorial team.

A total of 31 studios, spanning 14 countries including South Africa, India, Nigeria and Mexico, were shortlisted for awards in six distinct Designers of the Year categories.

Each category's winner will be showcased in an exclusive video produced by Dezeen and sponsored by Bentley. The videos will be unveiled on Dezeen from November 30 to December 7.

Dezeen Awards 2023

Dezeen Awards celebrates the world's best architecture, interiors and design. Now in its sixth year, it has become the ultimate accolade for architects and designers across the globe. The annual awards are in partnership with Bentley Motors, as part of a wider collaboration that will see the brand work with Dezeen to support and inspire the next generation of design talent.

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Bathroom manufacturer Kaldewei has collaborated with artist Bethan Laura Wood to create a series of eye-catching bathroom fixtures, showcased in this video produced for the brand by Dezeen.

Titled Avocado Dreams, the collection reimagines four key fixtures from Kaldewei's catalogue of products, incorporating colourful swirling patterns.

 

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Wood created three colourways to adorn the fixture's surfaces: a blue-toned Avocado Sea, a pastel green Avocado Swirl and a vibrant multicoloured mix called Avocado Disco.

The patterns were used to decorate the brand's bathroom accessories, including the Meisterstück Centro Duo Oval free-standing bathtub, the Superplan Zero shower tray, the Miena washbasin and the Meisterstück Oyo Duo bathtub.

Each item in the collection is made from 100-per-cent recyclable steel enamel and is plastic free.

According to the brand, each piece can be returned and reprocessed at the end of its life, as part of a commitment to circular design principles.

The range continues Kaldewei's history of partnering with creatives from across the art and design world. Previous collaborations include a series of fully enamelled bathtubs designed with Sottsass Associati and a range of steel enamel bathroom objects designed with photographer and musician Bryan Adams.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen as part of a partnership with Kaldewei. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Architects need to listen to younger generations and take a collaborative approach to sustainability, according to a panel of design experts in this filmed talk hosted by Dezeen for developer Brookfield Properties.

The panel included Brookfield Properties director of design Pragya Adukia, architecture studio Foster + Partners senior partner Dan Sibert and architecture studio BVN strategy director Esme Banks Marr. The talk was moderated by Dezeen co-CEO Ben Hobson.

The discussion followed the publication of a report commissioned by Brookfield Properties and Foster + Partners, which surveyed workers' thoughts on the importance of sustainability in the workplace.

The panelists discussed how younger generations are increasingly more invested in furthering sustainable practices in their workplaces, with the report finding that 93 per cent of people working in an "environmentally friendly office" felt happier in their job.

"We want to make sure that we're hearing what people say, which is why we co-commissioned this report with Foster + Partners – to listen to what the younger generation at work was saying, to give them a voice around their own sustainability, ideas and goals," Adukia explained.

"The idea of sustainability is really a community-based thing," added Sibert. "[There's] a generational shift. People are no longer interested in just sitting and letting it happen to them, they actually want to be involved in it."

"Our approach has always been 'this is what can be realistically achieved', it's not just a fancy hashtag or a strapline," continued Adukia.

"Let's look at the data points, that's very strong evidence, and then talk about what can be achieved, how we can future proof it."

"People are more vocal about their beliefs and what they'd like to see, it's a good idea to involve these people in bigger conversations, and then take on board what they want to see," she added.

"We can't plead ignorance, none of us can plead ignorance anymore" said Banks Marr, echoing the importance of listening to public opinion around sustainability.

"There are some baseline things that we need to fundamentally just get right in buildings, new and existing, first and foremost. Sounds quite simple, but a lot of people still fail to do it," she concluded.

The panel also discussed how approaches such as biophilic design could help lead to more engagement with the environment and green policy-making.

Defining biophilic design, Banks Marr said "it's not [just] putting plants into a space. Biophilic design is a term that's been used for such a long time and in lots of different types of ways, when actually it means all of your senses, your experience with the space and your connection to nature."

"It's a stepping stone, or a starting point, to taking a really ecological world view of things," she added.

"If I'm in these concrete jungle cities that do not have any connection to nature, and I don't experience that on a daily basis, it doesn't live in my psyche. So how am I expected to care about it and create real change?"

"There's a desire across the board, not just in the city, to make sure we've got spaces to live and breathe in," Adukia concluded.

Similarly, the panel noted the importance of creating long-lasting and future-proofed spaces.

"We need to get ourselves into that mindset where we actually think about things for a much longer term, and think and design them so they will change over time," said Sibert. "So, can the building be designed for multiple lifespans rather than a single lifespan?"

"One has to take the overall sense of why you're building in a city like this," he added.

"Why do we build where, what does it mean for the overall picture of carbon and regeneration? What's possible, but why would you make these choices as clients?"

To conclude the talk, Hobson asked each of the speakers what they believed the key challenges the industry needed to overcome were.

"I think one thing we could definitely get better at, which we're perhaps not currently doing enough, is knowing when to invite the real experts to the table. We don't have to know everything," answered Banks Marr.

"Data is absolutely key," Sibert added. "If we could allow ourselves to find both the right dataset for the purposes of the buildings we have, and also then make the way we manufacture it be database based, I think that would be a massive step forward for us as an industry."

"Our more successful projects have been where we've worked collaboratively and transparently. For any change to be implemented, I think it needs to be taken on board by all of its stakeholders. And that's not just as landlords or developers – tenants, individuals, everyone has to be on board vocal about what they want out of it," Adukia concluded.

The event was held at 30 Fenchurch Street, one of Brookfield Properties' landmark office developments in the City of London.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen as part of a partnership with Brookfield Properties. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Reef structures made from human ashes and accessories created from fermented vegan leather feature in this video by Dezeen for Dutch Design Week of the BioArt Laboratories exhibition.

Taking place in Eindhoven, the exhibition brought together a diverse range of projects exploring biotechnology, sustainability and human's relationship with nature.

 

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The video showcases projects at BioArt Laboratories

Projects featured in the exhibition include Resting Reef by Aura Murillo and Louise Skajem. Described as "a sustainable death care service", Resting Reef would see loved one's ashes transformed into oceanic reef structures.

The design start-up created a method in which human ashes are combined with crushed shells to create an organic material base.

This formula would then be 3D-printed into a custom reef culture, which would be installed in a selected marine site to encourage new growth of marine life and habitats.

Designers Murillo and Skajem wanted to address the unsustainable nature of modern Western burial practices, which often use highly toxic chemicals that leach into earth and water sources.

Another project in the exhibition was MycoPunk by designers Poorva Shrivastava and Clara Degez, who introduced a vegan leather alternative created from fermented bacteria.

The duo created a material and method that could be easily shared and reproduced, envisioning a future where people can create what they need themselves, rather than relying on consumer culture.

The fabric was made of a sheet of fermented bacterial cellulose, which was coloured with natural dyes and coated with plant oils to give it water-repellent properties. The plant leather was used by the designers to create wallets, purses and lampshades.

Visitors could take samples of the fermented culturing liquid used in the process to conduct their own experiments at home.

Environmental artist Theo Rekelhof created a kinetic art installation called Soil Symphony, which investigated the damaging effects of monoculture.

The installation was created in response to the increasing issue of soil degradation, where there is a decline in soil quality and nutrients usually caused by harmful agriculture practices.

According to the UN, all of the world's topsoil could become unproductive within 60 years if current rates of loss were to continue.

The kinetic sculpture was made up of spinning records that were topped with wooden cut-outs of plants, while broken pieces of speaker equipment were suspended by wires from a supporting frame.

Segments of the record's music were stuck in repetition and became more distorted as the record scratch deepened.

Using the metaphor of scratched records stuck on repeat, Rekelhof wanted to show the absurd and damaging effects of modern agriculture practices on the landscape.

The BioArts Laboratories exhibition is open to the public until 29 October as part of Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven.

This video is part of a series of reels Dezeen is producing during the design week, highlighting the best projects from the design fair.

Dutch Design Week 2023 takes place from 21 to 29 October in Eindhoven. See Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen for Dutch Design Foundation as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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A running shoe designed for use on Mars and a meditative water installation feature in this video by Dezeen, which showcases student projects from Design Academy Eindhoven during Dutch Design Week.

The graduation show brought together over 200 projects from bachelor's and master's students, which were exhibited in the Heuvel shopping centre in Eindhoven.

Projects featured in the show spanned diverse themes, ranging from futuristic product designs to speculative proposals and community-focussed work.

 

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Bachelor's graduate Nolan Le Goff created a running shoe designed to be used on Mars called Red Comet, which was designed to respond to the environmental challenges of the planet.

The shoe was fitted with weights to counteract the detrimental effects of Mars' low-gravity atmosphere, which is only 38 per cent as strong as the Earth's gravitational pull.

The weighted design was intended to simulate the same physical exertion as a user exercising on Earth feels.

Postgraduate student Ankit Kumar Singh's Its Delivery Time project aimed to address the often dehumanising struggles that delivery food drivers experience.

Singh created a portable, hand-pushed cart, which offers refreshments and acts as a service point for delivery drivers throughout the city.

The concept aimed to open up a dialogue between drivers and the wider public, who often are alienated from one another. Singh worked with local drivers and restaurants to create a service tailored to their needs.

The show also included large-scale installations, such as Dace Sūna's Cosmic Dancer concept. The immersive installation took the form of a large hanging lamp placed over a sensory water pool, around which visitors were seated.

Sūna invited viewers to focus on the the changing water drop cycles at the centre of the piece, which created a meditative experience intended to provoke viewers into contemplating the cycles of creation, preservation, destruction and rebirth.

Other exhibited projects included a card game designed to raise awareness about burnout, a video installation exploring cognitive tension around pornography and erotica, as well as a display showcasing traditional Ugandan methods of creating cloth from tree bark.

This video is the first in a series of reels Dezeen is producing during the design week, highlighting the best projects from the design fair.

Dutch Design Week 2023 takes place from 21 to 29 October in Eindhoven. See Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen for Dutch Design Foundation as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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The electrification of vehicles is changing the philosophy of how cars are designed, according to a panel of automotive industry experts during a talk hosted by Dezeen and Bentley.

The talk brought together a panel of designers and experts specialising in transport and vehicle design to discuss the future of mobility and the expansion of electric vehicles.

The panellists discussed how consumers should be aware of the political narratives at play when it comes to electrification and sustainability.

"We live in an era where so much of the focus in public discourse is on the negative," Swiss designer Yves Béhar said during the talk. "You have to seep through this sort of clickbait mentality out there to really see what the possibilities are."

Kirsty Dias, managing director at PriestmanGoode, explained her belief that the design industry should assure consumers that electric vehicles are a safe and responsible option in order to encourage its widespread adoption.

"[Anti-EV rhetoric] shouldn't be used as a vote winner for a populist vote, because the climate issue is bigger than an electoral term," Dias said.

"We really need to work as an industry beyond politics and ensure that we're working together to convince people that it is safe and responsible."

The talk, which was titled Towards a New Future of Mobility, explored the modernisation of public transport and how people will be impacted by rapid developments in the transport sector.

Other topics touched on include the uptake of shared and micro mobility, along with the developments in autonomous vehicles.

"I think the third generation EVs [electric vehicles] are truly going to take advantage of what technology can do from a design standpoint, from a user standpoint and from a practicality standpoint," Béhar said.

"It's an actual changing philosophy of how to design cars," added Robin Page, design director at Bentley Motors.

The panellists also discussed how technology such as virtual reality (VR) could be used to improve the accessibility of automobile design.

"I think one of the biggest transformations is the consideration of human factors when it comes to transport", explained Karla Jakeman, head of automated transport at TRL.

"One of the really interesting uses of VR is for people, for example, with neurodiversity issues, to anticipate and plan journeys so that they feel much more comfortable and confident when they're embarking on a journey," Dias said.

"Using the tools we have as designers, you can create these experiences so that you can actually go into someone else's viewpoint and look at things," continued Page. "And then we can come up with solutions to tackle those issues."

If someone has ASD, autism, for example, some of the challenges for one person will be very different to another. We're understanding more and more, so as our understanding builds, then more and more guidance will be provided" added Jakeman.

"Understanding the needs of all of those users is really important. It opens up this box of design opportunities to challenge the industry and move things forward," Page concluded.

The talk was the second in the Lighthouse series of panel discussions hosted by Dezeen and Bentley exploring the future of luxury. It was held at The Lavery Room in Cromwell Place during London Design Festival 2023.

The talk was moderated by Dezeen's editorial director Max Fraser and featured a panel of transport and vehicle designers including Yves Béhar from Fuseproject, Kirsty Dias from Priestman Goode, Robin Page from Bentley Motors and Karla Jakeman from TRL.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen as part of a partnership with Bentley. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Norwegian designer Lars Beller Fjetland explains how his fully recyclable Bello! bench created for Hydro aims to showcase the possibilities of extruded aluminium in this exclusive video produced by Dezeen.

Designed in collaboration with Shapes by Hydro – a knowledge hub created by aluminium producer Hydro – the bench is made from nearly 90 per cent recycled and 100 per cent recyclable aluminium, according to the designer.

"I wanted to make something that was extremely robust, and for me, aluminium was the answer," Beller Fjetland told Dezeen. "It has all these amazing properties that make it a super durable material, especially when you introduce it in an anodised finish."

Beller Fjetland and Hydro recently presented the latest colourway of the bench in forest green during the Material Matters Fair during London Design Festival, where Beller Fjetland spoke to Dezeen about the collaboration.

He cited forest landscapes as a source of inspiration when creating the vibrant green seat.

"I was just walking in the forest and contemplating aluminium as a material, and I was thinking about having a light impact or a low footprint in nature," Beller Fjetland said.

"Green just felt really fitting. It can also be a cliche, in a way, to think about green, but I think for us it really works."

The bench is characterised by its ridged surface, which Beller Fjetland explained was informed by the shape of penne rigate pasta.

"One of the things we discussed was how can we make the concept of extrusions accessible for as many people as possible," Beller Fjetland explained in the video.

"That's where I started to think about the analogy with the pasta, because the manufacturing technique is surprisingly similar."

The bench is manufactured using a similar extrusion process to how dried pasta shapes are formed. For the Bello! bench, molten metal is poured through a moulded opening to create a ridged surface.

"You're pushing the material through a die, which creates a form and, visually, it looks like a penne rigate or a rigatoni pasta," Beller Fjetland explained.

The bench, which was designed for both inside and outdoor use, features a hard-wearing finish making it suitable for high-traffic settings such as public transportation hubs.

"What is interesting with aluminium is that it is a material that has an inherent value in itself, which kind of makes circularity way easier," Beller Fjetland said. "There's an incentive there to actually recycle the material, because it has a monetary value."

"The beautiful thing is that the energy needed to recycle aluminium to make new material is very low. It makes me believe that recycled material doesn't have to be a compromise," he continued.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen for Shapes by Hydro as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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COS architectural creative lead Marcus Cole explains how more sustainable design principles were used in its recently opened concept stores, in this exclusive video produced by Dezeen for the brand.

The brand recently opened two stores, located in Stockholm and Mexico City, which according to COS exemplify its commitment to sustainable building and circular design. Cole talked to Dezeen about the brand's approach when creating the new retail spaces.

"This flagship store in Stockholm is the first in Europe to adopt the most sustainable store concept from COS to date," he said.

At 566 metres square and spread over two floors, the store, located on Biblioteksgatan, is also the brand's largest concept store.

When creating the space, COS wanted to address their existing waste flows, finding ways in which byproducts that would traditionally be categorised as waste could be reused and repurposed.

"The design focuses on circularity in both our material selection and our design strategy," explained Cole.

"The floor throughout our sales area is a terrazzo tile that has been made from 90 per cent quarry waste from our own suppliers' production line. The majority of the rugs are a collaboration using waste yarn from our suppliers' chain, each bespoke in their own way."

"We prioritised materials that can be easily repaired, and are designed for disassembly by avoiding mixing materials that are hard to decouple later down the line," Cole added.

The brand also took the same approach when creating the furniture and fixtures used in the store, choosing to prioritise more sustainable and recycled materials.

"Our vitrines and wardrobes are made from a combination of recycled acrylic and bamboo," said Cole.

"Bamboo is a more renewable choice than traditional hardwoods, because of the speed at which it grows, its carbon storage capacity, and also its durability," he continued.

"If we look to our fitting rooms and some of the softer fixtures in our stores, the panels are made from 60 per cent recycled plastic bottles that have been spun into felt, [and] the floor consists of a PVC free linoleum, which is made from a mixture of recycled and natural materials."

Other changes include 30 per cent recycled aluminium rails, 100 per cent recycled mannequins and the removal of all concrete fittings.

The brand also found it important to make use of the existing building where possible to reduce unnecessary CO2 emissions and to give new life to unused materials.

"This concept store is actually a rebuild of an existing store," Cole explained. "We were able to reallocate and reuse 50 per cent of our interior elsewhere in our portfolio, making sure we have as much emphasis on what we're taking out of the store as what we're putting in it as well."

Following on from the Stockholm store, the brand also unveiled another sustainable concept store in Mexico City. The store is located in the Polanco neighbourhood, and the interior references Mexico's artisan craft traditions.

In addition to operating as a fashion store, the shop also exhibits artworks by local creators, such as Caralarga, a female-led enterprise which focuses on sustainability and female empowerment.

"We have very ambitious plans to bring this sustainable approach and all of our learnings from it to more stores in the future," Cole said.

"The stores that have adopted our new concept now have an average of 68 per cent recycled materials. And this is a percentage that we're both really proud of because of how far we've come, but also challenged by because of where we want to get to," he continued.

"Whether it's a flagship store or a smaller activation, we worked hard to embed agility into the core of our interiors so that we're not wasteful in the future."

COS is a London-based fashion brand. The brand has 252 stores, spanning 47 physical markets.

Partnership content

This video is produced by Dezeen for COS as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen's partnership content here.

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In this exclusive video produced by Dezeen for the Serpentine Gallery, French-Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh explains how her Serpentine Pavilion was designed to create a sense of conviviality.

Called À table, the pavilion takes the form of a glued laminated timber (glulam) shelter that houses a concentric communal table intended to bring people together.

"The pavilion is called À table. It's the French call to get together around the same table," Ghotmeh said in the video. "For me, it's bringing people together, creating a community."

The structure of the pavilion was informed by naturally occurring forms, with elements of the shelter referencing patterns found in leaves and tree trunks.

"The roof is like a leaf composed by pleated wooden elements, floating above the centre of the space," Ghotmeh explained. "There is an opening with this umbrella that echoes the climate of the city as well."

"I wished for the structure to be constructed in the simplest way possible, using one material," she said.

Ghotmeh sourced low-carbon materials to build the pavilion, which is built predominantly from glulam and birch plywood.

"Wood is a low-carbon material, easily assembled, it's very lightweight, and it doesn't need heavy foundations," she said. "And it's disassemblable and remountable somewhere else."

Ghotmeh, who describes her design process as "archaeology of the future", drew references from community structures around the globe.

"The architecture of this pavilion is informed by research around places of community and rituals that can span from Stonehenge to the Toguna huts built by the Dogon people in Mali, west Africa," Ghotmeh said.

"They are pavilions that invite the communities to gather around the same space and under one roof to decide on important matters for the communities," she explained.

Throughout the summer, the pavilion will host a series of performances and events as part of the Serpentine's Park Nights programme.

"The pavilion is playing various relationships with the outside context in a kaleidoscopic manner," said Ghotmeh.

"When visitors experience this pavilion, I would wish that they feel at ease, that they feel conviviality. Sit at the table, maybe fall in love with your neighbour, but also have a moment of wonder and just enjoy the day in the park," she continued.

Ghotmeh is a Lebanese-born, Paris-based architect and the 22nd to be commissioned for the Serpentine Pavilion.

Her design follows last year's Black Chapel pavilion created by artist and designer Theaster Gates. Architects such as Frida Escobedo, Diébédo Francis Kéré and Sou Fujimoto have also previously created Serpentine Pavilions.

Ghotmeh is the founding architect of Paris-based studio Lina Ghotmeh Architecture. Notable projects by her studio include the Stone Garden tower in Beirut and Hermès Manufacture in Normandy.

The photography is by Iwan Baan, courtesy of Serpentine Gallery.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen for the Serpentine Gallery as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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This exclusive video produced by Dezeen for the Serpentine Gallery reveals this year's Serpentine Pavilion, designed by Paris-based Lebanese-born architect Lina Ghotmeh.

The structure takes the form of a timber shelter that houses a concentric table and chairs. Situated in London's Kensington Gardens, the pavilion will open to the public on 9 June 2023.

This exclusive video by Dezeen showcases this year's Serpentine Pavilion (@SerpentineUK), designed by Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh (@LinaGhotmeh).

The pavilion is named À table, and takes the form of a timber structure housing a circular table. It was designed to encourage… pic.twitter.com/1PYuY22SFv

— Dezeen (@dezeen) June 5, 2023

The pavilion was named À table, in reference to the French phrase that invites people to sit down together to eat, and Ghotmeh designed the structure to act as a space where visitors can meet and communicate with one another.

The architectural elements that make up the pavilion reference the environment that surrounds them. The structure's pleated roof takes after the veined surface of a leaf, while the supporting beams invoke tree trunks.

Ghotmeh also took references from cultural gathering spaces from across the world. The low roof draws on Malian togunas, low structures that are used for community meetings and to give shade from the heat.

À table was largely built from low-carbon materials, reflecting the architect's commitment to sustainability. The pavilion is modular in its design, meaning it can be disassembled and given a new life after the installation ends.

The pavilion will host the Serpentine Galleries' summer programme, called Park Nights, later in the year.

It will function as a platform for a series of interdisciplinary performances, featuring practitioners from across the fields of architecture, technology and film.

Ghotmeh's Serpentine commission follows artist and designer Theaster Gates, who unveiled his pavilion Black Chapel in June 2022. Previous Serpentine Pavilions have been built by architects such as Frida Escobedo, Diébédo Francis Kéré and Sou Fujimoto.

Ghotmeh is the founding architect of Paris-based studio Lina Ghotmeh Architecture. Her most notable projects include the Estonian National Museum, the Stone Garden tower in Beirut and Hermès Manufacture in Normandy.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen for the Serpentine Galleries as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Architect Lina Ghotmeh discusses her design for this year's Serpentine Pavilion in London, in this exclusive video produced by Dezeen for the gallery.

Set to take the form of a timber shelter housing a concentric table for visitors to congregate around, Ghotmeh's pavilion in London's Kensington Gardens will open to the public next Friday – 9 June 2023.

Ghotmeh is the 22nd architect to be commissioned for the Serpentine Pavilion. She designed the structure, named Named À table, as a space for exchange and celebration.

"The pavilion emerges around this concentric table that allows people to get together," said Ghotmeh.

"[It's] named À table, which is the French call to get together around the same table," she explained. "When you're young your parents would tell you to come down and get together to eat, discuss."

The architect described her design philosophy when creating the structure as "archaeology of the future"

"Archaeology of the future is a concept that I came up with early on in my studies of architecture," she told Dezeen. "It's a way of looking at architecture as a constant research of traces, of elements coming from various disciplines, that are synthesised into space," she continued.

"Growing up in Beirut, a city that has been constantly rebuilt after the war, growing up in the city [I was] imagining spaces and completing spaces, because sometimes you would see a ruin and imagine how would this be completed, to be finished as a building?"

"The structure is like a leaf. If you look in a microscope at a leaf, if you will see this main vein," she added.

The pavilion will be made predominantly from timber, with an emphasis on bio-sourced and low carbon materials.

"The pavilion is really just composed of this cantilevering beam built in wood." Ghotmeh explained. "As we speak today that pavilion is being built - you can see the skeleton being built, almost like a spider actually, like an organic being sitting and emerging from the site."

"I'm really looking forward to see it finished, and also to see people inhabiting it and creating a community," she added.

Ghotmeh is the latest architect to be commissioned to design the pavilion. Her first major commission was designing the Estonian National Museum, near the city of Tartu.

Working with Paris-based architecture office Dorell Ghotmeh Tane (DGT), Ghotmeh won the competition to design the museum in 2005 alongside DGT co-founders Dan Dorell and Tsuyoshi Tane. The museum opened in late 2016.

The 34,000-square-metre museum has a wedged shape, with a huge slanted roof that evokes the old airbase that used to occupy the site.

The ramp-like form was intended to evoke the country's emerging history, as it "takes of" into a new future.

Floor-to-ceiling glass panels make up the walls of the structure, allowing plenty of natural light into the exhibition spaces, alongside a sheltered courtyard.

Ghotmeh's more recent projects include her Stone Garden housing project in Beirut and the Maroquinerie de Louviers workshop for fashion brand Hermès.

Stone Garden is an apartment block located in Beiruit, Lebanon, completed shortly after the Beirut explosion in 2020. The project was named architecture project of the year at Dezeen Awards 2021.

The building was constructed from a mix of cement and local earth, and the facade was hand-combed by local artisans to create a ridged effect. Apartments are accompanied by deep-set balconies which act as gardens for residents. The block also houses an art platform.

Ghotmeh wanted the building to reflect the character of Beirut, moving away from a traditional Western canon of architecture. The apartment block is notable for it's use of Lebanese and Middle Eastern aesthetics, bringing to mind natural structures such as the Pigeons' Rock on the coast of Beiruit, as well as ancient structures such as the city of Shibam in Yemen.

Ghotmeh's most recent project is a brick workshop situated in Louviers, France, designed for the luxury fashion brand Hermès.

The  6,200-square-metre workshop is designed to house 260 leatherwork artisans. The building is characterised by large swooping brick arches, which are intended to invoke the movements of a leaping horse.

The building is notable for being the first industrial building to achieve France's highest environmental labelling, the E4C2 label.

The workshop is heated using geothermal energy from 13 probes that reach a depth of 150 metres, in addition to 2,300 square metres of solar panels. The interior of the structure is designed in order to utilise as much natural light and ventilation as possible, limiting energy needs.

Ghotmeh's Serpentine Pavilion follows last year's Black Chapel, which was designed by artist and designer Theaster Gates. Previous Serpentine Pavilions have been built by architects such as Frida Escobedo, Bjarke Ingels and Sou Fujimoto.

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This video was produced by Dezeen for the Serpentine Galleries as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Dezeen has partnered with Autodesk to present a panel discussion about the role of AI and data in architecture practice. Watch the talk on Dezeen at 4:00pm London time, Monday 8 May.

The panel will feature Brooke Grammier, chief information officer at Cannon Design, Knut Ramstad, partner and chief technology officer at Nordic Office of Architecture, Harlen Miller, associate design director and senior architect at UN Studio, and Amy Bunszel, EVP of architecture, engineering and construction design solutions at Autodesk.

The talk will be moderated by Dezeen editor Tom Ravenscroft.

The speakers will discuss the role of AI within the design process and the effect it may have on the future of the architecture industry.

The talk coincides with the launch of the first set of capabilities of Autodesk Forma, an industry cloud that unifies workflows across teams, specifically those that design the built environments.

One of the key features of Forma is it's use of AI-powered automations to streamline the design and planning process.

The panel will explore questions such how the use of big data is changing the role of the architect, and how to future-proof the industry in the midst of increasingly fast technological change.

Autodesk is a corporation that creates software and custom services for architecture, engineering, construction and manufacturing industries.

The talk will be broadcast on Dezeen as well as Youtube and Facebook. Sign up here to stay notified about the event.

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This talk is produced by Dezeen for Autodesk as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Dezeen is partnering with Icelandic design festival Design March to host a series of live talks exploring the importance of design in addressing global challenges.

The conference will be moderated by Dezeen editor Tom Ravenscroft and streamed live on Dezeen at 10:00am London time, 3 May 2023.

Titled DesignTalks, the conference will be split into four themed sessions, which will be live streamed from the fair in Reykjavik, Iceland. The conference is part of the 15th itineration of DesignMarch.

The first session will explore the resilience of creativity, focusing on how designers have been able to work during extreme global challenges, as well as how design can be used to create courage and hope.

The session will begin with a performance by partner and global design director of design company IDEO, Michael Hendrix, followed by presentations by media artist Refik Anadol and architect and director Liam Young.

The second session follows on from the previous panel by asking how designers can work to create more sustainable and innovative ways of working.

Joining the panel are CEO of climate solution company Transition Labs, Kjartan Örn Ólafsson, designer and founder of material brand Vitralabs, Ingvar Helgason, CEO and owner of clothing brand 66°North, Bjarney Harðardóttir, and designer, artist and researcher, Thomas Pausz.

The third session will host a panel featuring landscape architect and co-founder of LOLA Architects, Peter Veenstra, artistic director and founder of design studio ÞYKJÓ, Sigríður Sunna Reynisdóttir, partner at design studio Design Group Italia, Sigurður Þorsteinsson, and founder of art project Graphic Rewilding, Lee Baker.

This panel will discuss how design can be used to address the social challenges highlighted during the pandemic. Speakers will discuss questions such as how to design for dignity, justice, participation and inclusion, and how we can create more healing environments.

In the last session of the conference,  bio-designer and Faber Futures founder, Natsai Audrey Chieza and senior curator of architecture and design at The Museum of Modern Art, Paola Antonelli, will wrap up the themes discussed in previous sessions by exploring what they think the future of design holds.

The pair will also discuss how designers can use the advances in science and technology in recent years, looking at rapidly advancing fields like bio-design.

DesignMarch is Iceland's largest design fair. Curated by Hlin Helga Guðlaugsdóttir, the event covers architecture, fashion, interiors and graphic design.

The five-day fair showcases innovation in Icelandic design and architecture, and this year will host 100 exhibitions, 400 participants and 100 different events.

The full lineup of talks and more information about the festival can be found here. Tickets to the design fair can be purchased via this link.

DesignMarch takes place from 3-7 May 2023 in Reykjavík, Iceland. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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This article was written by Dezeen for DesignMarch as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Design school Istituto Europeo di Design presents an exhibition of multidisciplinary student projects as part of Milan design week 2023.

The exhibition titled Ecocentrico forms part of the Alcova design fair and includes multimedia installations and workshops, which address the topics of urban regeneration and memory.

 

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This year's Alcova fair takes place in the neighbourhood of Porta Vittoria – the former butcher's district of Milan – and many of the student projects use local materials recovered from the area and engage with the history of the site.

This is the result of the workshop Studi Visuali Urbani in which students presented individual installations through video, photography, sound, drawing, graphics, fashion and objects collected in the former Butchery.

One of the seven workshops taking place is Fluid Shapes by Mauro del Santo, which uses soap bubbles to explore ideas around complexity and harmony. Participants are invited to play with the material properties of the bubbles and discover "different ways of making".

The workshop is held inside a gold geometric dome, which references the architecture of traditional steppe nomad yurts. A second silver yurt acts as a workshop and exhibition space for students' work.

One of the projects featured in the exhibition is 1/1000 – Bangs of Life by Paola Riviezzo, which is informed by Alcova's history as a site traditionally used for animal slaughter.

1/1000 – Bangs of Life includes organic packages made from soil and seeds called "life bombs", which aim to counteract the number of animals killed with "new life".

As part of the project, visitors can take home digital formulas and instructions on how to re-create their own life bombs at home through QR codes.

Other projects exhibited make use of projections, audio and found objects to reflect on urban regeneration.

Throughout Ecocentrico's runtime, IED's student collective called Fanzine will record the events taking place, through photography and video.

After the fair is complete, the former butchery in which the exhibition takes place will be converted into a new IED International Campus.

IED is a design school based in Italy, with nine international campuses situated across major Italian cities, Spain and Brazil. The school was founded in 1966 by Francesco Morelli.

Milan design week 2023

Econcentrico takes place as part of Milan design week  from 17 to 23 April 2023, at Via Molise 62, 20137 Milan, Italy. See our Milan design week 2023 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen for IED as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen's partnership content here.

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In this exclusive video produced by Dezeen, Resolve Collective discusses its latest architectural installation at the Barbican, which takes the form of an interactive landscape to be used for community organisation.

Titled Resolve Collective: them's the breaks, the installation uses materials that have been recycled and foraged from cultural institutions across London and the south coast of England to create a series of structures within the Curve Gallery at cultural centre Barbican.

Interdisciplinary design studio Resolve has filled the gallery with ramps, platforms and plank-like furniture, created from waste materials such as concrete breeze blocks and discarded packaging.

The pieces are designed to be interacted with and can be used as seating, social spaces, or stages for speakers.

The Curve Gallery's walls are also lined with annotations documenting the installation process, as well as a library bookshelf containing books on architectural and social theory for visitors to browse.

The installation was designed to act as a forum for thought and activism and is accompanied by a programme of events, workshops and parties.

The aim of the exhibition was to question the role of social institutions by offering a non-hierarchical alternative space that is open to interpretation, as well as showcasing a circular and community-led method of design that utilises upcycling and material redistribution to reduce waste.

Resolve Collective was founded by Melissa Haniff and brothers Seth and Akil Scafe-Smith. Their work focuses on community-led design and uses art, architecture and technology to address social issues within local communities.

Them's the breaks was co-curated by Barbican assistant curator and Dezeen contributor Jon Astbury.

The collective wanted to create a space that felt accessible to all, and that could facilitate wider conversations about infrastructural and socio-economic reform.

"It's actually thinking quite differently about what we would understand to be a gallery or a museum, and thinking quite critically about what that looks like outside of those four walls." said Seth Scafe-Smith.

Unlike a usual exhibition, visitors are invited to touch, climb on and interact with the pieces in the Curve Gallery.

"In our work, we always want people to become part of the installation and the exhibition as a way to remove the hierarchy between the artist and the audience," said Seth-Scafe Smith.

The installation is accompanied by a programme split into four seasons, running from the end of March to mid-July. Each season gathers a series of artists, musicians and local organisers to reflect on the themes of infrastructural practice, knowledge sharing, and joy.

During the final season of the installation, the materials that make up the installation will be given away in what the collective describes as a "closing-down sale".

Throughout the show's run, visitors will be able to claim wares for their own use, giving the waste materials another life.

"Institutions often throw away or dispose of the contents of old exhibitions. We were interested in how we could intercept some of those waste flows," Akil Scafe-Smith told Dezeen.

"You'll be able to claim a material that you need for a community project or another art installation" explained Haniff.

"[And] you'll be able to mark different materials that you would like to take home using a custom-made Resolve stamp," said Akil Scafe-Smith.

"We would like people to take away material, but we'd also like people to take away a kind of moment where they get to share and support some of the organisations that we are really inspired by and try to imagine a new future in which we organise and support people in a different way," Seth Scafe-Smith added.

Resolve Collective: them's the breaks opened at the Barbican Centre on 30 March 2023 and is on show until 16 July 2023. For more international events, talks and showcases in architecture and design, visit Dezeen's Events Guide.

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This video was produced by Dezeen for the Barbican Centre as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen's partnership content here.

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An exhibition at Chatsworth House including designers including Michael Anastassiades, Faye Toogood and Formafantasma, features in this video produced by Dezeen for the stately home.

Called Mirror Mirror: Reflections on Design at Chatsworth, the exhibition brings together a collection of furniture and objects displayed throughout and responding to Chatsworth House and its gardens.

In total, 16 international designers and artists created pieces that respond to the interiors of the building.

Some responded by sourcing materials from the property itself, while others focussed on themes and ideas taken from decorations within the interiors.

"The designers of the exhibition have responded to Chatsworth in all sorts of fascinating ways," said co-curator of the exhibition Glenn Adamson.

"Throughout you really see this kind of conversation between the present and the past."

The exhibition continues Chatsworth House's 500-year-long history of working with leading artists and designers and collecting an extensive collection of art and objects.

"An artist's new work can create a new way of looking at these spaces," said Chatsworth House Trust director Jane Marriott.

"It can capture their imaginations and hopefully inspire them to explore Chatsworth in a different light."

British designer Toogood took over Chatsworth's chapel and adjoining Oak Room. As a nod to the historical use of the space as a place of worship and gathering, she created an installation of monolithic furniture made from bronze and stone.

The sculptural forms were designed to evoke ecclesiastical structures and to reflect the local landscape.

"These objects give a sense of meditative calm, a sense of massiveness or monumentality that feels appropriate to the space," Adamson said.

Two stone benches by Dutch designer Joris Laarman made from locally sourced gritstone , which was the material used to build the house itself, were placed in Chatsworth House's gardens.

The surfaces of the benches were carved with undulating patterns in which moss and lichen have been planted and will continue to grow over time.

Other objects in the exhibition include a throne-like seat wrapped in leather made from musical instruments by Jay Sae Jung Oh, a fibrous cabinet designed by Fernando Laposse, and sinuous steam-wood sculptures by Irish furniture maker Joseph Walsh.

Another section of the exhibition, which occupy Chatsworth's Sculpture Gallery built in the early 19th century, features pieces by British designer Samuel Ross.

Ross's pieces were designed to echo the surrounding sculptures, mimicking their form to invite viewers to imagine the body that would recline on them. The designer has used a material palette of stone and marble to further reflect the sculptures within the gallery.

"It's a kind of collision of past and present, of the artisanal with the technological, the classical with the industrial," Adamson said.

"It's a great example of how the show in general tries to talk across generations, across centuries."

Mirror Mirror: Reflections on Design at Chatsworth is on display at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire until 1 October 2023. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

Photography is courtesy of the Chatsworth House Trust.

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This video was produced by Dezeen for Chatsworth House as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen's partnership content here.

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In this video produced by Dezeen, US material manufacturer 3form unveils its latest colour palette for its partitions and architectural features, adding muted colours informed by the changing seasons.

The 2023 Color Collection contains 10 pastel colours, including warm yellows, cool blues and subtle lavenders, offering a softer alternative to the brand's typical saturated tones.

 

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Each colour was selected to emulate one of the four seasons and to explore the feelings and emotions that each hue evokes.

"Colour is at the core of what we do," said 3form chief creative officer Ryan Smith. "This collection allowed us to be more introspective about the meaning of colour in our lives."

"We see colour as a main ingredient in creating welcoming gathering spaces," he continued.

The tones include a light blue named Comet, which was designed to evoke the feeling of a winter day, as well as a pastel purple called Lavish, which was designed to echo the vitality of spring.

"This palette sets the design tone for 2023, but its timeless, classic hues are relevant beyond the calendar year," Smith said.

"We take that into deep consideration when creating any palette."

3form's translucent partitions, which can be used for interior features and installations, are available in glass or resin.

Due to the semi-transparent quality of the material, each colour interacts with natural light differently depending on its environment, creating different moods throughout the day.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen for 3form as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen's partnership content here.

More information on 3form's collection can be found on the brand's website.

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Interdisciplinary design studio Resolve Collective talks to Dezeen about its community-focussed designs ahead of the opening of its exhibition at the Barbican Centre later this month, in this exclusive video produced by Dezeen.

The design collective will transform the Barbican's Curve gallery, building a wave-like installation on site using materials that have been recycled and foraged from cultural institutions and exhibitions across London and the south coast of England.

Called Resolve Collective: them's the breaks, the installation will be accompanied by a programme of events, workshops and parties that take place during its run, which has been curated by Barbican assistant curator and Dezeen contributor Jon Astbury.

Resolve Collective, which is led by brothers Seth and Akil Scafe-Smith and Melissa Haniff, aims to work at the intersection of art, architecture, engineering and technology in a bid to address social issues.

Speaking to Dezeen in an exclusive interview, Akil Scafe-Smith explained that the collective's design philosophy puts vernacular design at the forefront of its work, prioritising the use of locally available resources and methodologies to address local design needs.

"For us, community-focussed design is about celebrating the knowledge that people have of their local areas, and how to transform their realities and their worlds," Akil Scafe-Smith said.

"What we want to try and do is shine a light on a method that is anti-institutional and actually thinks about the dissipation of resources and the platforming of local organisations, who are operating in a different way," added Seth Scafe-Smith.

The design collective aims to use a community-first approach, using the site of each project as a resource and point of reference in of itself, which enables the use local materials and knowledge to foster socio-economic change within communities.

"For us, design – as much as process – is an exercise in re-seeing and reconsidering the things around us," Akil Scafe-Smith said.

"It's about how we can positively transform people's neighbourhoods in their everyday lives."

Resolve's first project was called Rebel Space, created as part of the London Design Festival in 2016, which featured a temporary pavilion in Brixton made out of materials that were sourced within a one-mile radius of the site.

It hosted seven days and seven nights of events, parties, film screenings, discussions and workshops.

Another project by the design group was called Summer House, in which Resolve invited three different Black practitioners based in Brighton to take over a space to highlight the work that they do within their community.

The group recently worked with Wellcome Collection in collaboration with the De la Waar Pavilion and West Dean College on a series of exhibitions and workshops.

Called What the Wild Things Are, the project explored rewilding, as well as the symbiotic relationships between humans and nature, using outcomes from each local workshop to inform a response.

Dezeen will be publishing an exclusive video with Resolve Collective presenting its new collaboration with the Barbican shortly after the installation opens on 30 March.

Resolve Collective: them's the breaks opens at the Barbican Centre on 30 March 2023 and is on show until 16 July 2023. For more international events, talks and showcases in architecture and design, visit Dezeen's Events Guide.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen for the Barbican Centre as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen's partnership content here.

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Japanese architect Shigeru Ban explains how his egg-shaped music auditorium acts as a western gateway to Paris in the last instalment of Dezeen's Concrete Icons series produced in collaboration with Holcim.

The video features La Seine Musicale, a music complex that houses a large multipurpose concert hall and a smaller auditorium.

The musical facility is located on the Ile Seguin island near Paris's western suburbs, occupying a third of French architect Jean Nouvel's mixed-use masterplan of the island.

Speaking to Dezeen in an exclusive video filmed by Dezeen at the architect's Paris office, Ban explained that the complex was designed as a monument to signify a western gate into Paris.

"The concert hall has a special character," Ban said. "The client was looking for a symbolic monument. My strategy is making a symbol with some meaning and function."

The building comprises three facilities: a concert auditorium for classical music, a 6,000-seat multi-purpose hall and a music school for children.

The music hall takes the form of an ovoid auditorium, which is encased in a latticed laminated-timber frame with glass.

The auditorium is sheltered by a sail-shaped wall of solar panels, which move to follow the path of the sun to shade the interior from direct sunlight throughout the day.

"It looks like a concrete ship with a glass egg on top with a sail," Ban said. "The sail is a big triangular shape with a solar panel, which is slowly moving."

The exterior of the concert hall features specially made mosaic tiles that change colour according to whether they are exposed to direct sunlight.

The site was originally home to a manufacturing plant operated by car brand Renault. When the plant closed in 1992, the factory was left empty, and was later demolished.

Plans to rejuvenate the area were firsts drawn up in 2009 by Nouvel.

In keeping with Nouvel's masterplan, a concrete wall envelops the building's perimeter as a nod to the industrial aesthetic of the former factory.

"I tried to use timber as much as possible for the building's structure," Ban said. "However, concrete was the main material for the facade. Concrete is such a wonderful material, which cannot be replaced by anything else."

"Each material has its own characteristics. My idea is to take advantage of the different characteristics of each material," he continued.

The Pritzker Prize-winning architect won an international competition held in 2013 to design the Ile Seguin site.

La Seine Musicale was the first cultural venue to be completed on the island, opening its doors in April 2017. Further plans are underway to add an art centre, hotels and office spaces to the island.

Concrete Icons is a six-part video series created in partnership with building materials company Holcim, which profiles the most striking contemporary concrete buildings by the world's leading architects.

Previous instalments in the series focus on MAD's sinuous Cloudscape library in Haikou, China, as well as The Square, a higher-education learning centre in Switzerland designed by Sou Fujimoto.

Last week's instalment focussed on the Striatus bridge, a freestanding 3D-printed concrete footbridge designed to demonstrate how 3D printing techniques can be used to build with less material.

Additional footage courtesy of La Seine Musicale, by Arthur Maneint, Hensli Sage and Noesys Prod.

Partnership content

Concrete Icons is produced by Dezeen for Holcim as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen's partnership content here.

Build the icons of the future with Holcim's low-carbon ECOPact concrete, delivering up to 90 per cent less carbon dioxide emissions compared to standard concrete with no compromise on performance.

Find out more about how Holcim works with architects here.

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Workspace brand NeueHouse has opened a work and social space in Venice Beach, Los Angeles, which is revealed in this video created for the brand by Dezeen.

The club is the third community and co-working space that the brand has opened in Los Angeles, California, with other locations in Hollywood and in Downtown's historic Bradbury Building.

Workspace brand @NeueHouse has opened a work and social space in Venice Beach, Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/IzJQMvbV0g

— Dezeen (@dezeen) January 31, 2023

NeueHouse Venice Beach is located at 73 Market Street, in an area of Los Angeles known for its arts scene in the 70s and 80s.

The interiors of the club were designed by Canadian studio DesignAgency, who were strongly informed by southern California's history as a centre of modernism.

The agency chose to use light, organic materials to reflect the Californian climate. Spaces are designed to be open-plan, in order to foster a feeling of informality and comfort.

The building includes private and public workspaces, as well as a podcast recording studio, wellness room and social spaces.

As with Neuehouse's other venues, the club will host a regular cultural programme including exhibitions, screenings and events.

The clubhouse is home to a collection of artwork curated by Caroline Brennan of design studio Silent Volume and Pamela Auchincloss of curatorial agency Eleven+. The collection combines the work of established artists with emerging talent from southern California.

The Venice Beach club also houses Reunion, the first in-house restaurant and bar in a Neuehouse location. The restaurant is situated on a private rooftop space with indoor and outdoor seating.

"Our latest House is a response to a historic demand from the local Venice creative community," said chief marketing officer Jon Goss.

"We want to reimagine and pay homage to the block's historic past, while offering a warm, design-first experience".

You can apply for membership at NeueHouse Venice Beach at its website.

Last year, Dezeen and NeueHouse teamed up to host a series of events, including a panel discussion on Afrofuturism in art and design and a live talk on the metaverse featuring Liam Young, Refik Anadol and Space Popular.

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This article was written as part of a partnership with NeueHouse. Find out more about our partnership content here.

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In this exclusive video by Dezeen, the Design Museum curator Kathryn Johnson discusses the work of the Campana brothers, currently featured in the Design Museum's exhibition Objects of Desire: Surrealism and Design 1924 – Today.

The designer duo's Cartoon Chair and Cabana cabinet are included in the exhibition as examples of contemporary surrealist design, alongside over 350 artworks, objects and photographs documenting the relationship between surrealism and design.

The Design Museum curator Kathryn Johnson discusses the work of the Campana brothers, currently featured in the Design Museum’s exhibition Objects of Desire: Surrealism and Design 1924 – Today. #ObjectsOfDesire is on at the Design Museum until 19 Feb. pic.twitter.com/bXxoiQk1go

— Dezeen (@dezeen) January 25, 2023

Johnson described how the blurring of boundaries was key to the brothers' work.

"We interviewed the Campana brothers for a book published alongside this exhibition," said Johnson.

"They said, people think things need to be very rational, but there's a better way to construct things, through contamination."

" [It's] letting different genres of design and different ideas merge into the other and seeing what comes out."

Describing the Cabana cabinet, Johnson said "although technically it's a cabinet, it looks like so much more."

"It has this incredible presence. It's covered with raffia so that you have to reach into the darkness to actually get to the shelves inside, if you're brave enough,"  

"The other piece in the show looks radically different but is equally inventive, and that's the Cartoon Chair," she added

Created by the brothers in 2007, the seat of the chair is made up of Disney stuffed toys, amassed together in "glorious bad taste."

The chair is one of several unusual chairs featured in the exhibition.

Also featured are Sarah Lucas' Cigarette Tits chair and the MAgriTTA armchair by Roberto Matta, which is informed by René Magritte's painting The Son of Man.

Estudio Campana was established by Fernando and Humberto Campana. Fernando Campana died on 16 November 2022.

Objects of Desire: Surrealism and Design 1924 - Today opened at the Design Museum on 14 October 2022 and is on show until 19 February 2023. For more international events, talks and showcases in architecture and design, visit Dezeen's Events Guide.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen for the Design Museum as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen's partnership content here.

Tickets are available at designmuseum.org/surrealism.

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In this exclusive video produced by Dezeen, curator Kathryn Johnson explains the story behind Salvador Dalí's lobster telephone, currently on show at the Design Museum's exhibition Objects of Desire: Surrealism and Design 1924 – Today.

The exhibition features almost 350 surrealist objects spanning fashion, furniture and film.

"The lobster telephone is like a guest of honour in this exhibition," Johnson said. "It seems that although it was made in the '30s, it still attracts such love today, and we can't get enough of it."

In this exclusive video produced by Dezeen, curator Kathryn Johnson explains the story behind Salvador Dalí's lobster telephone, currently on show at the @DesignMuseum's exhibition Objects of Desire: Surrealism and Design 1924 – Today. pic.twitter.com/Z0J7p8Imkn

— Dezeen (@dezeen) January 18, 2023

One of the main themes of the exhibition is desire, which Surrealist founder André Brenton once described as the sole motivating force in the world, and the only master that humans should recognise.

Describing how the lobster telephone came to be, Johnson explained that for Dalí, "lobsters and telephones were both very sexy objects".

"[The phone] started with a little sketch of what he called an aphrodisiac telephone – and you can imagine if you're talking on the lobster telephone, it would look like you were sort of kissing the lobster," said Johnson.

"A lot of surrealist designs invite you to be performers, to be actors, and to complete the work by using it. And this is very much in that vein."

Johnson chose to display the Lobster Telephone alongside another notable work of Surrealism, the Mae West Lips Sofa.

"We've shown it [together] because these works are often seen in isolation as sculptures - but the point we want to make is that these were actually interior design commissions, they were functioning, they were used," added Johnson.

The exhibition features many other iconic surrealist works by figures such as Man Ray, René Magritte and Elsa Schiaparelli, as well as contemporary works from designers and artists such as the Campana brothers, Sarah Lucas and Anna Lindgren and Sofia Lagerkvist for Moooi.

Objects of Desire: Surrealism and Design 1924 - Today opened at the Design Museum on 14 October 2022 and is on show until 19 February 2o23.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen for Design Museum as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen's partnership content here.

Tickets are available at designmuseum.org/surrealism.

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The winners of the Shaw Contract's 2022 Design Awards, which include an orthopedic hospital in USA and a workplace in a restored building in Brazil, are revealed in this captioned video produced by Dezeen for the brand.

Flooring company Shaw Contract recognised five winners in the 17th edition of its Design Awards, which celebrates impactful living, working, learning and healing spaces around the world.

Each of the winners was awarded a $2,000 charitable donation in the name of their studio to an organisation of their choice.

"The Shaw Contract Design Awards program is our chance to recognise the spaces that inspire new ways of living, working, learning, and healing through the design lens," said Shaw Contract.

"The awards place a spotlight on a diverse range of talents from across the globe, celebrating design in action and purposefully rewarding the innovative and truly inspiring work being done by the architecture and design community."

In total, five winners were chosen from 37 finalists, narrowed down from almost 600 project submissions from 37 countries by a panel of design professionals.

The winners included architecture firm HGA , which won an award for its Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Centre in Akron, USA.

Three workplace design projects were also recognised. These were the mining IGO offices in Perth, Australia, designed by Rezen + Templewel, the headquarters of Sede Insole Energia in Recife, Brazil, designed by Mobio Arquitetura and the EY Melbourn workplace in Australia by Gensler.

The final winner was the Hilton Singapore Orchard hotel in Singapore, designed by Avalon Collective, which won an award in the hospitality category.

Read more about all of the winners on Shaw Contract's Design Awards website.

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This video was created by Dezeen for Shaw Contract as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Furniture designers are in high demand, said British design duo Barber Osgerby at a talk hosted by Dezeen in collaboration with Danish design company Fredericia during London Design Festival.

"One thing that we've noticed recently is that there is a scarcity of industrial and furniture designers," said designer Jay Osgerby, co-founder of Barber Osgerby.

He noted that students who traditionally would have studied furniture design are now more likely to go into digital industries, such as video game design.

"We've noticed over the years, we used to have so many CVs through the door, and they've almost completely stopped now," added Barber Osgerby's other founder, designer Edward Barber.

"We feel it's important now more than ever to actually study those things and be the next generation," emphasised Osgerby.

The discussion took place at Fredericia's London showroom on 21 September and was moderated by Dezeen's deputy editor Cajsa Carlson. The panel was made up of Barber Osgerby and Rasmus Graversen, head of design at Fredericia.

The event celebrated the launch of Fredericia and Barber Osgerby's Plan collection, a series of chairs and tables designed for working and living.

Speaking on the process of collaborating with Fredericia, Barber discussed how he and Osgerby had looked toward the brand's design heritage when creating the pieces.

"Whenever we work for a new company, we look at the history of the company, we look at the products that they've made over the years," he said.

Barber Osgerby referenced historic Fredericia design

Barber noted that Fredericia's iconic J39 chair, created by Danish designer Børge Mogensen, was a particular point of inspiration during the creative process.

"I have to say I've had the J39 chair for years and years," Barber said. "What I've always loved about it is that it has this very straight architecture to it."

"There's no sort of curves or leaning legs," he added. "And so I think it'd be fair to say, Jay and I borrowed from that architecture for this chair."

"There's a commonality there, but a transference of materials, from oak to steel, and stainless steel," added Osgerby.

The Plan chair is made up of a steel base, with options for a plywood or upholstered seat. The chair partners with the Plan table, a simple four-legged table featuring an oak tabletop and brushed steel frame.

"When I came into the showroom today, I was so happy because it felt like [the collection's] always been here – but at the same time that it's completely new," said Graversen. "I think there's this mutual respect for the end product".

Sustainability needs to be accessible and easy to take part in

The speakers also discussed the importance of incorporating a realistic approach to the product's lifespan when designing sustainable pieces. Barber discussed how designers need to make it easy for users to take part in circular processes.

"It's all very well to have it disassembled by yourselves, but that's never going to happen, they'll chuck it somewhere," he said.

"So it has to be easy for someone who doesn't know the chair to take the pieces apart and recycle it."

"We would like to make products that we can send on their own journey," added Graversen.  "Something that will have a very long lifespan".

"We introduced some new things like upholstered elements, and things can happen to upholstery which is not the same as what you can do with wood," he added.

"So we needed to look into a more circular way of doing the components. You can have it refreshed, or you can purchase a new substitute, so it's prepared for [a] circular [life]."

"There's a difference between what [Fredericia] has done and what most manufacturers did," noted Osgerby. "[With this collection], should something break or get damaged, you can just order that part, it's really unusual."

Fredericia is a Danish furniture brand founded in 1911. The company has produced work by iconic Danish designers such as Mogensen and Nanna Ditzel, as well as the work of contemporary designers such as Jasper Morrison.

Partnership content

This talk was filmed by Dezeen for Fredericia as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen's partnership content here.

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Dezeen teamed up with bathroom brand Kohler to host a live panel discussion exploring luxury, wellbeing and digital innovation.

The talk was moderated by Dezeen's chief content officer Ben Hobson and discussed how digital technology can be used to enhance luxury hospitality projects and how it can offer users greater personalisation in their environments.

Speakers appearing on the panel included Kristina Zanic, CEO of Kristina Zanic Consultants, Paul Wiste, vice president of design and construction at Four Seasons Hotels and Lun Cheak Tan, vice president of industrial design at Kohler.

The panel looked at how digital innovation is advancing the future of the hospitality industry, as well as how conceptions of luxury and wellbeing have changed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Zanic is an interior designer and founder of Dubai-based design firm Kristina Zanic Consultants. She specialises in hospitality projects, and has worked with clients such Accor, Marriott, and Hilton.

In 2021 Zanic was named Leader of the Year at the Index Dubai awards. She currently is involved in mentoring students in the Middle East, India and Australia.

Wiste is vice president of design and construction at Four Seasons, and oversees all of the brand's design and construction projects in the Asia Pacific region. He is also involved in researching and exploring future trends and movements in hospitality design.

He has previously held design roles at Jumeriah Hotels and Resorts and Intercontinental Hotels, and until earlier this year was a principal at hospitality  consultancy Design Assembly.

Tan joined Kohler in 2013 as design director for its Kitchen & Bath Asia Pacific division, before moving to his current role of vice president of industrial design. Tan is responsible for creating strategies for product innovation and design.

In addition, Tan co-founded design collective Little Thoughts Group to create greater awareness of design and its importance in everyday life and culture.

Partnership content

This talk was produced by Dezeen for Kohler as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Curator Luke Kemp discusses the role of design and technology in reshaping our views of the natural world as part of the Our Time on Earth exhibition at London's Barbican Centre, in this video produced by Dezeen.

The exhibition aims to encourage conversation around the climate crisis, and the role of design and technology in mitigating its effects.

It brings together a range of digital, immersive and interactive works designed to spark discussions around what the future of the world could look like, including pieces by Marshmallow Lazer Feast, Liam Young, Superflux and Buro Happold in collaboration with Julia Watson.

Kemp and guest curators Kate Franklin and Caroline Till also looked to radical thought and academia, bringing together perspectives from indigenous activism, biotechnology and queer ecology.

Kemp told Dezeen that when curating the exhibition they looked "not only for architects, designers, but also at writers, activists, indigenous communities, people whose voices otherwise often aren't heard."

According to Kemp, the exhibition encourages visitors to rethink their perceptions of the natural world.

Superflux's work Refuge for Resurgence opens the exhibition and portrays a table set for a multi-species banquet. Drawing from theories of the Anthropocene, the piece images a world in which humans and other animal species are equal.

Also featured is designer Liam Young's short film Planet City, which puts forward a vision for the future in which humans inhabit a sustainable metropolis, and nature is allowed to re-wild itself.

In Victoria Vesna's Noise Aquarium viewers are brought face-to-face with the microscopic amoebae that sustain our world, and Marshmallow Laser Feast's Sanctuary of the Unseen Forest unwraps the exterior of a vast tropical tree

Kemp explained to Dezeen that it was important for the exhibition to inspire visitors to positively engage with the climate emergency.

"What we wanted to inject into the conversation is an element of hopefulness, and to ignite a sense of courage in people," Kemp said.

"When visitors leave the exhibition, we really want them to leave with a sense that there are possibilities, there is space for hope."

After closing in London, Our Time on Earth will re-open in the Musée de la Civilisation in Quebec City, which co-produced the exhibition, before continuing on its international tour.

Previous Barbican exhibitions featured on Dezeen include a retrospective of seminal Japanese-American designer Isamu Noguchi and a showcase of the Matrix Feminist Design Co-operative.

Our Time on Earth is on at the Barbican Centre in London from 5 May -29 Aug. It will re-open at the Musée de la civilisation in Quebec City in June 2023. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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This one-minute video shows how MIT Senseable City Lab is using 3D laser scanning to analyse the architecture of Brazil's favelas.

Called Favelas 4D, the project uses LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), a 3D laser-scanning technique, to record detailed virtual maps of the neighbourhood of Rocinha, Brazil's largest favela.

The project is a collaboration between MIT Senseable City Lab, which is led by Italian architect Carlo Ratti, and architect and urban planner Washington Fajardo, who is the city planning commissioner of Rio de Janeiro.

Rocinha is characterised by dense, complex and layered structures. As a result, traditional satellite maps are of limited use and lack many of the details of the maze-like neighbourhood.

Instead, the lab's researchers have used handheld LiDAR scanners, which use laser pulses to measure distances. These recorded data points are then assembled to create a 3D virtual map of the area.

Scans capture details such as street width, structural density, elevation and height. The scans also record the favela's characteristic improvised structures that are often missed by traditional maps, but which are integral to the architecture of the neighbourhood.

Using this data, MIT and Fajardo are able to analyse the unique morphology of Rocinha and use it to inform social policies in the city.

"The findings could be used to develop planning strategies that make the formal city more inclusive to informal settlements, or to spark research into alternative ways of building to make urban environments more accommodating and affordable for their growing populations," said Fajardo.

The data is also being used to study how the architecture of favelas can feed into future urban design.

"Despite their challenging circumstances, favela residents have developed ingenious and responsive ways to build their own urban systems," noted Ratti.

"This bottom-up planning process and the complex architectural forms it produces can challenge the standard way of designing cities," he continued.

Previous projects by the lab include sewage-sampling robots that track disease outbreaks and "space bubbles" that would reflect the sun's rays in order to fight climate change.

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Stéphanie Bru and Alexandre Theriot, co-founders of French architectural firm Bruther, gave the 31st Annual Architecture Lecture at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.

The livestream has now ended and, at the request of the architects, is not available to rewatch. However, you can watch other Royal Academy of Arts annual architecture lectures from previous years here.

Dezeen partnered with the Royal Academy of Arts to livestream this year's architecture lecture, which is part of the programme around the institution's yearly summer exhibition.

Titled Spare Parts, the lecture explored how public architecture can be used to improve communities' quality of life, as well as how architects can work towards environmental sustainability.

Bru and Theriot also discussed the development of previous projects such the Saint-Blaise Cultural and Sports Centre in Paris, which was nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Award in 2015.

In addition to co-founding Bruther in 2008, the pair have also been professors of Architecture and Design at ETH Zürich since 2019.

Bruther is known for its public projects and its dedication to socially-engaged and responsible architecture. While speakers are usually selected based on the impact of their existing work, Bruther were selected for this year's lecture based on their future potential said the institution.

Last year's lecture was given by Atelier Bow-Wow founders Yoshiharu Tsukamoto and Momoyo Kaijima, who discussed the architectural impact of the Olympic Games in Tokyo and how it influenced their own work.

Previous lecturers include Jean-Philippe Vassal, Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi and Grafton Architects.

Spare Parts took place 18 July 2022 at Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BD. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for Royal Academy of Arts as part of a media partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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In this Design Dreams video produced by Dezeen for Moooi, designer Andrés Reisinger explains how his viral Hortensia chair design was brought to life.

The Hortensia chair is a moulded armchair, designed to evoke the feeling of sitting in a blooming flower. Reisinger collaborated with product designer Júlia Esqué to create a physical version of the piece for Dutch design brand Moooi.

Reisinger first posted a digital render of the Hortensia chair to Instagram in July of 2018, after which it quickly became a viral sensation, and formed part of the first wave of NFT designs.

Reisinger searched for a collaborator to help turn his digital design into a physical object for six months before partnering with Moooi and Esqué.

In this video interview, Reisinger describes how he and Esqué experimented with unconventional textures when working to bring the piece to life.

"I was exploring digital textures, trying to extract these feelings, this sensibility, this tactility" he said.

"He asked me, would you dare to turn this texture into a repeatable surface, that we can make and that we can prototype?" added Esqué.

"[We talked] about the feelings, the way that we would imagine the chair living" she said.

The chair is made up of 20,000 pink fabric petals, which were clustered together into distinct modules, evoking the hydrangea flower that the chair is named after. Reisinger and Esqué note how one of the main challenges of creating the piece was how to replicate this effect in reality.

"The outcome had to be vaporous and light," said Esqué. "We knew that these petals or these flowers had to fight a bit against gravity."

The designers' technique results in a soft, fluffy effect, in line with Reisinger's original 3D design.

"It's difficult to find people that want to believe you, and really see your vision of the future," said Reisinger.

"The collaboration with Moooi was not only for making Hortensia available for everyone in the world, but also to give Hortensia another life." he said.

"It's so beautiful to see how it's like in constant evolution and constant growth" said Esqué

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen for Moooi as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen's partnership content here.

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Dezeen teamed up with Swedish rug brand Kasthall to host a live panel discussion exploring craft and heritage during Milan design week 2022.

Titled Crafting the Future – Innovation and Icons, the talk celebrated the launch of Kasthall's tufted rug Quilt, designed by Ellinor Eliasson and launched at Milan Design Week 2022.

Panellists discussed the history of the brand, and how to develop new designs and techniques without losing sight of older craft traditions.

Hosted by Dezeen's chief content officer Ben Hobson, the panel was made up of Kasthall's head of design Lena Jiseborn, Kasthall's head of business and project development Peter Eriksson, designer Eliasson and Claesson Koivisto Rune architect Ola Rune.

The panel took place in Kasthall's Milan showroom in front of a live audience.

During the talk, the speakers discussed the role that craftsmanship and heritage played in their design practices.

Eliasson, the designer of Quilt, described how she referenced traditional textile crafts when creating the rug.

"The inspiration comes from woven textiles where the warp and weft were mixed, but also Japanese Boro textiles, where patchwork fabrics are sewn together to create new patterns, to save the old clothes and textiles," she said.

"I've always been interested in working with a company that has its own production. I think that is something that is a very good strength, where you can be very creative within some limits" she added.

"I wanted to create a tufted rug that pushes what we do today at Kasthall."

Eliasson is a Swedish textile designer. She joined Kasthall's product and design department in 2015, creating works such as the Harvest and Feather rug for the brand.

Also joining the panel was Claesson Koivisto Rune co-founder Rune.

Similarly inspired by Japanese crafts, Rune described a project for the K5 Hotel in Tokyo, where he collaborated with Kasthall to re-invent the traditional Japanese hand-crafted tatami mat.

"The Japanese were very surprised that we [took] their classic, and we made it into our classic," he said.

"Sometimes you have to play a little bit with what you have around you."

The panellists also discussed the enduring legacy of notable designers such as Gunilla Lagerhem Ullberg.

"In the '50s, we focused more on design, to contact those famous Swedish textile designers from the time, such as Astrid Sampe and Ingrid Dessau" Eriksson said.

"Those ladies were the first ones who really brought us out in the world seriously."

Eriksson, Kasthall's head of business and project development, first joined the company in 1995 as a hand tufter. He worked closely with the head of design Ullberg on notable projects such as the Moss and Fogg rugs.

Recalling their time working together, Eriksson described how Ullberg's experimental approach pushed Kasthall in a new, more adventurous direction when designing the Moss rug.

"We got the yarn specification from Gunilla, and we placed them in the machine while she was still in Stockholm. We were tearing our hair out  because we didn't get it to work at all." Eriksson said.

"We just expected her to throw it away - and she said hallelujah! This is the best thing I've ever seen, exactly the way I want it."

"The linen threads were hanging out randomly, whereas our goal was always to have as even a surface as possible. So this became one of Kasthall's greatest successes."

"She [always] had an idea, something wild and crazy," added Jisenborn.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for Kasthall as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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In this video produced by Dezeen, creative studio Acrylicize showcases its strategy for using art as a vehicle for storytelling and brand expression.

Multidisciplinary studio Acrylicize creates bespoke artworks and installations for clients.

"Artworks have a huge influence on how you feel in an environment," said James Burke, who founded the studio in 2003.

"If there's colour and vibrancy, it will give you a certain emotive response and disrupt your neural pathways".

Through its work, the company aims to build what they have termed "hyper-evolved workplaces," which they define as innovative and connected offices that put wellbeing and community first.

As well as creating art and design pieces from scratch, the brand also works to create "activations" for its pieces – hosting conversations, experiences, and events in order to reach an even wider audience.

In this exclusive video interview, founder Burke and creative director Hannah Rummery discussed some recent projects including Contours – a light sculpture created for data visualisation company Tableau Software, inspired by the local scenery of Seattle.

"We really wanted to create something that felt like it embodied the local surroundings, which are really beautiful," said Rummery.

"We looked at extrapolating the data of the contour map of Mount Rainier itself, and then looked at that as a sort of physical embodiment within the space which then created these radial pieces," she continued.

"So from every angle, you see this piece, there's a different point of view. And then when you stand right underneath at the bottom of the stairs, you get that kind of moment where it all comes together," added Burke.

The studio also worked with Linkedin to create a series of artworks and installations for its office spaces in London.

Acrylicize's team centred its designs around iconic London visual references.

"It's really a celebration of British craft and the hidden details of London," said Rummery.

"So we've got a huge tiled wall, which is taken from the London Underground tiles, and we created a bespoke LinkedIn tile, which really  adds to that detail and the craft of the whole piece."

"Ultimately, art gives the sense that anything is possible," said Burke. "It's going to promote a different way of thinking and really start to facilitate innovation and creativity."

Partnership content

This video was published by Dezeen for Acrylicize as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Designer Olalekan Jeyifous argued that the African diaspora is futuristic during a panel talk on afrofuturism, art and design hosted by Dezeen in collaboration with NeueHouse.

Speaking alongside Dezeen's US editor Ben Dreith, conceptual artist Fabiola Jean-Louis and TNRK co-founder Tariq Dixon at NeueHouse's Madison Square location during Frieze New York, Jeyifous argued that members of the African diaspora had a unique historical link to the idea of world building.

"Those who were brought to the Americas and enslaved, every single thing that we have created has been a new thing, because there just simply wasn't a precedent for it," he said.

The talk was the second part of Building the Future, a series hosted by Dezeen in collaboration with NeueHouse throughout 2022 which will explore what comes next in art, architecture and design.

Jeyifous is a Brooklyn-based artist and designer who examines the relationship between architecture, community and environment.

His work covers a variety of mediums, including photomontage, sculpture and large-scale installations. He has previously exhibited at the Studio Museum in Harlem, Museum of Modern Art, Vitra Design Museum and Guggenheim Bilbao Museum.

"We had to draw on our past and our traditions – from the music, to the food, to the clothing, to even systems of behaviour and mannerisms and everything in education, it was all completely new," said Jeyifous.

"So there's probably no one more fundamentally futuristic in terms of actually building something new than those who are part of the African diaspora" he noted.

Speaking at the talk, Jean-Louis interrogated the popular Western conception of the future and sci-fi aesthetic.

"There's this idea that if you can afford or have access to all of the technology, then you are part of that science world, right?" she said. "And I beg to differ."

"I think that black communities have been ignored for so long, because we've had to actually create things out of nothing," she continued.

"Is it about having the best technology within your world? Or is it the ability to create something out of necessity, which people have been doing for a very long time?"

Jean-Louis is a conceptual artist. Her work uses antique imagery to unpack representations of black women throughout history. Jean-Louis often works with textiles, and in a recent series of works created several elaborate baroque-influenced dresses made entirely out of paper.

"Influence of African works to modernism and Western visual language was so pervasive"

The panel also discussed the importance of recognising the contribution of the African diaspora to contemporary art and design.

In the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests, Dixon sought to provoke wider discussions about race and colonialism's legacy within the design world.

Dixon co-founded TRNK, an online curatorial platform and design retail shop, in 2013. Based in New York, the brand offers a selection of thoughtfully curated furnishings and design pieces, with a particular focus on minority and LGBTQ+ creators.

TRNK's digital exhibition, named Provenance, set out to represent how the historical contributions of BIPOC communities, and particularly the African diaspora, have been marginalized, whitewashed and tokenised.

"The influence of African works to modernism and Western visual language was so pervasive – it completely changed how the Western world thought about form and geometry," said Dixon.

"But even the value of these particular works, the monetary value, was based on its legacy of white ownership. Because no provenance was given to any of these works."

"African works were just treated as little ethnographic trinkets. And it wasn't until  Picasso got his hands on a Fang mask, that all of a sudden, there's this new ascribed value to it" he continued.

"So we were challenging a lot of these designers to interrogate the references more deeply."

The online exhibition featured pieces by contemporary design studios, including Tbilisi design studio Rooms, and Ethiopian American artist and industrial designer Jomo Tariku, alongside vintage African masks and furniture.

"It is about unpacking these legacies and hopefully starting to build a new canon of African-inspired work that can exist outside of this legacy of colonialism," said Dixon.

"If we're not careful, then it becomes a pigeonhole."

Answering questions from the live audience at NeueHouse Madison Square, the speakers also touched on the limitations of the label of afrofuturism.

Jean-Louis noted that the term could be used to minimise black artists.

"At the end of the day, if we're not careful, then it becomes a pigeonhole," she said. "It becomes something that you're lumped right into, that you may not necessarily want to be known by."

"It doesn't mean that you don't honour it, you don't love it. But you know, it's that conversation that a lot of black artists have – do I want to be known as a black artist, or just an artist?" she continued. "Do I want to be known as a woman, a female artist, or just an artist?"

"And so I just think that as safe as it can be, we have to be vigilant, we have to be careful, we have to be wise, in constantly expanding on what that safe space means and looks like, and who controls that," Jean-Louis added.

Jeyifous also referenced the discourse around the popular lo-fi aesthetic often associated with Afrofuturism.

"When I showed Shanty Megastructures in Lagos, Nigeria, I gave a talk to architecture students at UNILAG. And one student got up she just completely eviscerated me" said Jeyifous.

"She was like, why are you creating terrible ruin porn for the consumption of Western media, and making this stuff look so bad. And then after she asked that question, the entire class erupted in a standing ovation."

"Another student jumped up and said, Why do you think this is ugly architecture? He's like, for me, this uses local materials, organic materials...[It's] more connected. So he was like, we have to interrogate ourselves why [we think that]," he continued. "It really did generate a very heated conversation."

"I have to think of what I'm doing and who the work is speaking to, and what exactly, it's saying. It's a constant evaluation and revaluation of these kinds of works," he added. "That I think is very important."

Partnership content

This talk was filmed by Dezeen for NeueHouse as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen's partnership content here.

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Dezeen teamed up with Universal Design Studio and Map Project Office to host a live talk exploring the evolution and role of the contemporary design agency.

The talk, was moderated by Dezeen editor-at-large Amy Frearson, and marked the launch of The New Standard, a design collective formed by Universal Design Studio, Made Thought and Map Project Office.

The panel was made up of Carly Sweeney, associate director at Universal Design Studio, Emilie Robinson, senior designer and strategist of Map Project Office, and Universal Design Studio associate Nick Rolls.

The speakers discussed topics such as the history of the design studio, what design means in the context of strategy, and the future of the industry.

The panel also showcased recent cross-collaborative projects between Universal Design Studio and Map Project Office, and discussed how agencies can provide innovative creative solutions whilst navigating the evolving needs of the industry.

Speakers also touched on the theme of mobility as an ecosystem, in reference to Map Project Office's recently published e-paper. This paper discusses the tangible changes in the mobility industry after two years with Covid-19.

Acting as Universal Design Studio's associate director, architect Sweeney works to develop and deliver strategies within a multi-disciplinary team.

She has worked on notable recent projects such as 100 Liverpool Street with Hopkins Architects and The Exchange at Paddington Square with Renzo Piano and RPBW.

Robinson is a senior designer at Map Project Office. As part of her role, Robinson leads design strategy and research for enterprise clients, including IBM.

Robinson previously worked with clients such as Proctor & Gamble and Mars during her time at Matter and Studio Make Believe. Robinson has a particular interest in technology, sustainability and consumer insights.

Rolls joined Universal Design Studio in 2006 and currently holds the position of associate. His previous collaborations include the Information Age Gallery with the Science Museum and an online exhibition with Google Web Lab. 

Rolls' work particularly focuses on the intersection of digital and physical design.

 Partnership content

This talk was produced by Dezeen for Universal Design Studio as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen's partnership content here.

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Fashion designer Mary Katrantzou has teamed up with ceramics specialist Villeroy & Boch to create a range of tiles, showcased in this video published by Dezeen for the brand.

Titled Victorian, the collection features eight different themed sets of tiles. The range uses a bold colour palette of gold, white and black and many of the tiles are adorned with colourful butterflies.

A combination of digital printing techniques and traditional screen-printing methods were used to create each tile. A 3D effect was added to give a handmade appearance to each piece.

The range draws on Katrantzou's previous fashion collections, in which butterflies appear as a prominent motif. The designer notes that she featured the insect to communicate optimism and to explore the theme of metamorphosis.

Katrantzou studied architecture before becoming a fashion designer and drew on her education for the collection.

"Both disciplines require an understanding of balance, symmetry and proportion," said Katrantzou in an interview with Villeroy & Boch Tiles.

"Having a harmonious balance between colour, pattern and form is just as important in interiors as it is in fashion," she added.

"On the other hand, being part of someone's home creates a feeling of permanence that’s very different to the very nature of fashion."

Katrantzou created the tiles to function as collectable artworks as well as interior design pieces.

Katrantzou is a Greek fashion designer, currently based in London. Her designs have been featured in institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Victoria & Albert Museum.

She has collaborated with names including Adidas, Moncler and the NYC Ballet.  In 2019 she was named "International Designer of the Decade" by Vogue.

Partnership content

This video was published by Dezeen for Villeroy & Boch Tiles as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Dezeen rounds up our top 10 live talks of the year as part of our review of 2021, featuring discussions with Neri Oxman, Es Devlin, Joseph Grima, Peter Saville and more.

Es Devlin for Dezeen 15

Es Devlin opened our Dezeen 15 festival this year, which celebrated Dezeen's 15th anniversary with a programme of cutting edge designers and architects presenting their manifestos for a better world.

Devlin joined us live from the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, where she had installed an indoor forest to serve as an events space. During the talk, Devlin presented her idea for a car-free future, and imagined looking back from 15 years in the future at the positive progress made since COP26.

Find out more about Es Devlin ›

Oliver Heath on biophilic design

Dezeen teamed up with CDUK for this live talk, hosted in Dezeen's new Studio Space in London. Biophilic designer Oliver Heath talked to Dezeen editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs about how biophilic design principles can help improve health and wellbeing.

Find out more about biophilic design ›

Joseph Grima on non-extractive architecture

In April, Space Caviar co-founder Joseph Grima spoke to Dezeen about his manifesto for a new mode of architecture that conserves the Earth's resources.

During the talk, Grima discussed how young architects are rejecting "cookie-cutter modernism" in favour of approaches that prioritise conserving the earth's resources, and proposed an overhaul of our current industrial economies.

Find out more about Joseph Grima ›

Neri Oxman for Dezeen 15

Closing the Dezeen 15 festival was designer Neri Oxman, who called for a "radical realignment between grown and built environments".

During the talk, Oxman also announced the launch of her new studio, OXMAN. "We envision it as a kind of a Bell Labs of the 21st century," she said, comparing it to the legendary innovation department of US telecoms giant AT&T.

Find out more about Neri Oxman ›

Sumayya Vally on the Serpentine Pavillion 2021

To celebrate the unveiling of the 2021 Serpentine Pavillion, Dezeen broadcast an in-person interview between Serpentine Gallery artistic director Hans Ulrich Obrist and architect Sumayya Vally.

Speaking from within Vally's pavilion, the pair discussed the influences and process behind her design for the annual commission.

Find out more about Sumayya Vally here ›

Gropius Bau and Hella Jongerius on weaving 

In this talk, artist Hella Jongerius and Stephanie Rosenthal, director of the Gropius Bau museum, discussed Jongerius' exhibition Woven Cosmos.

The speakers discussed the healing properties of weaving, and Jongerius' wider creative philosophy centred around design, sustainability and spiritualism.

Find out more about Hella Jongerius here ›

Rex Weyler on environmental activism and design

To celebrate Greenpeace's 50th anniversary, Dezeen hosted a panel discussion headed by ecologist and Greenpeace co-founder Rex Weyler, to discuss the role of designers in environmental activism.

Also joining the panel were Canadian architect Michael Green of Michael Green Architecture and Nina-Marie Lister, professor and graduate director of Urban & Regional Planning at Ryerson University.

Find out more about Greenpeace here ›

Peter Saville on his Technicolour collection for Kvadrat

Streamed live from 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen, this talk featured designer Peter Saville introducing his new Technicolour collection for Danish textile company Kvadrat.

The talk also included Kvadrat's vice president of design, Stine Find Osther, and Dienke Dekker, design manager of the brand's rug division.

Find out more about Peter Saville here ›

How game engines are transforming architecture with Epic Games

As part of our Redesign the World competition in collaboration with Epic Games, Dezeen hosted a live talk exploring how game engines like Twinmotion are changing architecture.

The talk discussed the future of virtual architecture and the growing link between video games and architecture.

Find out more about Epic Games here ›

Reiner de Graaf on his novel The Masterplan

In the last of our top 10 live talks, Dutch architect and OMA partner Reinier de Graaf unveiled details about his latest novel The Masterplan.

De Graaf was also joined by Russian architect Olga Aleksakova, the co-founder of the Buromoscow studio, and architect and writer Mahfuz Sultan.

Find out more about Reiner de Graaf here ›

The post Dezeen's top 10 live talks of 2021 appeared first on Dezeen.

Continuing our review of 2021, Dezeen picks our top 10 videos of the year including exclusive interviews with architects Sumayya Vally and Kengo Kuma and behind-the-scenes looks at the most notable installations of the year.

Serpentine Pavilion 2021 by Sumayya Vally

In the first of our highlighted videos, Sumayya Vally discussed the meaning behind her Serpentine Pavilion design in an exclusive video filmed at the temporary building.

The structure was designed to celebrate and reference London's migrant communities. Vally took cues from iconic cultural spaces such as the Four Aces Club in Dalston, one of the first London music venues to showcase black musicians.

Find out more about Sumayya Vally's Serpentine Pavilion ›

Bamboo ring installation by Kengo Kuma 

In this exclusive video produced by Dezeen for OPPO, Kengo Kuma describes how he wanted to create a "spiritual experience" through his Milan Design Week pavilion.

The piece combined traditional bamboo with contemporary technology. Lengths of bamboo were bound to carbon-fibre backing and coiled to form a giant ring-like structure.

The pavilion also acted as a percussive instrument and used reverberating motors, speakers and exciters to generate sound. The percussion was accompanied by a score composed by Japanese violinist Midori Komachi and architectural sound design studio Musicity.

Find out more about Kengo Kuma's installation ›

Isamu Noguchi exhibition at the Barbican

In this video, curator Florence Ostende took us through the Isamu Noguchi retrospective at the Barbican Centre in London.

The video showcased the prolific work of Noguchi, a 20th-century artist who created works in sculpture, lighting, furniture, performance and set design. He is best known for his iconic Akari light sculptures. Ostende described the ideas behind Noguchi's work, delving into the social aspect of his work.

Find out more about the Noguchi exhibition ›

Aurora installation by Arthur Mamou-Mani & Dassault Systèmes 

The next video in our round-up focused on a recent installation at the London Design Museum designed by architect Arthur Mamou-Mani in collaboration with Dassault Systèmes.

The installation, which coincided with the Waste Age exhibition, was designed to explore circular architecture. It was created using a 100 per cent recyclable bioplastic made from fermented sugar.

Find out more about Aurora ›

Scroll wins Dezeen and LG Display's OLEDs Go! competition

The winner of Dezeen and LG Display's OLEDs Go! competition was revealed in this video. Entrants to the competition were tasked with creating innovative new designs that showcased OLED technology's key qualities.

First place was awarded to Richard Bone and Jisu Yun for their design titled Scroll. Scroll mimics an unravelling roll of paper and can be used as both a physical and digital display. This multipurpose design was chosen for its practicalness and innovation.

Find out more about the OLEDs Go! competition › 

Gravity chandelier by Paul Cocksedge for Moooi

British designer Paul Cocksedge told us about his new chandelier 'shaped by gravity' in this video.

Designed for Moooi, the piece was designed to reinvent the traditional chandelier as something more accessible. The video was part of our Design Dreams series with the Dutch brand, which explores how successful designers turned their dreams into reality.

Find out more about Paul Cocksedge's Gravity chandelier ›

Social architecture pavilions at Chart Art Fair

Dezeen created this video showcasing the five architecture pavilions on display at this year's Chart Art Fair in Copenhagen.

Installations responded to the idea of "social architecture", and included an edible dining canopy, a temporary pavilion made from inflatable bags and a human-scaled wire reconstruction of Charlottenborg, the arts venue where the fair was held.

Find out more about Chart Art Fair's pavilions ›

Liquid bathroom collection for VitrA by Tom Dixon

In this video, Tom Dixon described how he collaborated with VitrA to create his first bathroom collection.

Named Liquid, the collection features smooth, chunky forms and soft lines, creating a minimalist aesthetic. "What I'm trying to get to is almost an expressive minimalism, where what you're trying to do is have a very visible functionality and reduce visual noise," Dixon told Dezeen.

Find out more about the Liquid bathroom collection ›

Costume sofa for Magis by Stefan Diez

In this video produced by Dezeen for Magis, industrial designer Stefan Diez explained how he created a user-friendly sofa made from recycled plastic.

As well as using sustainable materials, the sofa was designed to be easily re-assembled, repaired and replaced. The modular style allows owners to configure the sofa in endless formations.

Find out more about Stefan Diez's Costume sofa ›

3D-printed bridge by Holcim and Zaha Hadid Architects 

Holcim CEO Jan Jenisch described the construction process behind a new 3D-printed concrete bridge in this video produced by Dezeen.

The project, titled Striatus, was a collaboration between Block Research Group, the Computation and Design Group at Zaha Hadid Architects and 3D printing specialists incremental3D. It aims to demonstrate how concrete, a typically carbon-heavy material, can be used in more sustainable ways.

Find out more about Striatus ›

The post Dezeen's top 10 architecture and design videos of 2021 appeared first on Dezeen.

Dezeen has teamed up with sustainable flooring specialist Tarkett to host a live talk exploring sustainability and circularity in design. Watch live now.

Titled "Sustainable meets style: how design advocates can guide consumers through their circular journey," the talk explored how circular product design principles can be made accessible to consumers.

The speakers included Florian Bougault, design director at Tarkett EMEA, Mirza Rasidovic, range engineering leader at IKEA, and Flavien Menu, one of the co-founders of WALD architecture studio.

The panel discussed topics such as how consumers can look out for sustainable credibility in brands and avoid greenwashing, as well as how designers can design sustainable products at a large scale. The talk was moderated by Cajsa Carlson, Dezeen’s deputy editor.

Bougault is design director at Tarkett EMEA, and has been working with the brand for over 10 years. His past experience spans a range of scientific, business and artistic disciplines.

At Tarkett, his role includes new collection development and collaboration with international design studios. Among Bougault's projects is Tarkett’s circular selection, which comprises a range of tiling and flooring materials that are recyclable post-use.

Rasidovic is range engineering leader at IKEA. In his work for the brand, he has helped develop a circular product assessment methodology.

Rasidovic joined the company 12 years ago and has held roles in areas ranging from product development to leadership at IKEA.

Menu is one of the co-founders of architecture studio WALD.

Menu holds a dual-degree in Urban Affairs from Sciences Po Paris and London School of Economics. He previously taught at the Architectural Association in London, Venice Bienalle and Harvard Kennedy School.

The studio recently created Proto-Habitat, a pop-up home made from 100 per cent local timber. The house can be assembled and disassembled easily by three people, allowing it to be re-used and recycled.

Partnership content

This talk was produced by Dezeen for Tarkett as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Architect Jonathon Leitersdorf explains the vision behind luxury resort Six Senses Ibiza in this video produced by Dezeen Studio for the AHEAD hospitality awards.

The Six Senses is located in Cala Xarraca, on the northern tip of Ibiza. The project was named the winner of the spa and wellness category at the AHEAD Europe awards 2021.

The AHEAD awards celebrate striking hospitality projects from across the world and is split into four different regions: Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Asia and the Americas.

The winners of the AHEAD Europe hospitality awards were announced during a live ceremony in London on 19 November.

According to Leitersdorf the hotel was designed to take cues from local village spaces on the island, in order to feel more like a real community.

"The first concept that we had in our mind was a sense of discovery," Leitersdorf told Dezeen.

"We ended up with a concept of a utopian village built out of nine buildings, which are actually all connected underground."

"The idea was to create something more like a village that has outdoor spaces and indoor spaces that are all a little different and a lot more intimate, then people will be happy to stay and never leave."

The 20-acre site offers up to 116 guest rooms and includes restaurants, a spa and wellness centre, and a yoga pavilion.

The resort's design takes cues from the surrounding environment, with many of the structures finished in terracotta hues and an organic material palette, reflecting the rugged terrain of the site.

"Because we are building into the rock, it was very important for us to have our treatment to be very similar to the rock and basically camouflage the buildings, so when you approach from the water, you really see one colour".

Letiersdorf told Dezeen that the most important part of the building process was designing the overall experience of the guests.

"We design, from start to finish, the whole experience of a person in the environment – the human architecture, the connections," said Letiersdorf.

"So there's always the sense of intimacy, always excitement, another place to go.  [There's] a sense of discovery."

Images courtesy of AHEAD.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen for AHEAD as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Architect Mark Bruce of EPR Architects describes how the studio created a luxury hotel in the shell of an 18th-century London prison in this video produced by Dezeen for the AHEAD hospitality awards.

NoMad London is located in the former Grade-II listed Bow Street Magistrates Court and Police Station in Covent Garden, London. It is the first overseas outpost of American hotel brand NoMad.

The project was named the winner in the Hotel Conversion category at the AHEAD Europe awards 2021.

The AHEAD Awards celebrate striking hospitality projects from across the world and is split into four different regions: Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia and the Americas.

"Interpretation of luxury is a really interesting topic, especially when you come to a project like NoMad London," Bruce told Dezeen. "How do you turn a magistrate's court and a police station that had prison cells into a luxury environment?"

The prison's historic inhabitants included the Kray Twins, Oscar Wilde and Emmeline Pankhurst.

"From an architectural point of view, we worked very hard in terms of how the building was laid out," said Bruce.

"Where the hotel's main door is now used to be an entrance into a courtyard, where all the defendants would have been brought in."

"Now you walk into a stunning lobby, and the first thing you see is this three-storey atrium."

The central chamber was transformed into a glass-domed dining hall. Each storey is landscaped with overhanging plants and painted with a soft sea-foam green.

"You get a real feeling of energy from the buzz, and the chatter and the clatter. It just creates the beating heart of the hotel," said Bruce.

Interior design studio Roman and Williams furnished the space, creating eclectic and vintage-inspired interiors.

"[Roman and Williams] brought in this stunning layering of rich materials, from new beautiful timber wall panelling to some exquisite wallpapering in really theatrical colours," said Bruce.

The historic magistrates' court was renovated into a formal ballroom, featuring wall murals painted by French artist Claire Basler. Rustic tableware and classical art pieces create a secluded atmosphere.

Other spaces, like The Fireplace Room, feature hand-painted custom wallpaper set against velvet upholstery in jewel tones.

"It's been curated in a way that you rarely see in a hotel - it's been curated in a way that feels like you're walking into your fantasy house," said Bruce.

Images courtesy of AHEAD.

This video was produced by Dezeen for AHEAD as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Co-founder and chief creative officer of Salt Hotels Kevin O'Shea explains how the group transformed an abandoned brick manufacturing facility into a luxury hotel and event space in this video that Dezeen produced for the AHEAD hospitality awards.

Named Hutton Brickyards, the hotel is located in Kingston, New York, on the Hudson River. The resort also functions as a large-scale event space and was named winner of the Event Spaces category at the AHEAD Americas awards 2021.

The AHEAD Awards celebrate striking hospitality projects from across the world and is split into four different regions: Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia and the Americas.

Hutton Brickyards' site was originally used as a brick manufacturing factory from the late 1800s onwards but eventually fell into disrepair.

O'Shea told Dezeen how owner and developer Karl Slovin worked to preserve and renovate the existing structures during a seven-year restoration process.

"The vision behind Hutton Brickyards first and foremost was about saving this incredible manufacturing facility," said O'Shea.

O'Shea added that the team wanted to embrace the history and decay of the site, rather than covering it up.

"People get to experience this really incredible historic piece of architecture as part of their experience at Hutton," he said.

Several of the original structures have been transformed into open-air pavilions used for hosting events.

Much of the resort is designed to be open-air and in close proximity to the surrounding environment. Guests can take part in a range of outdoor activities such as biking, kayaking and hiking.

Allowing guests to escape into nature was at the forefront of designing Hutton, O'Shea explained.

"The atmosphere we wanted to create here was you can go out into nature, you can get two hours out of New York City, but you don't have to sacrifice comfort," he said.

Guests can stay in one of 31 individual cabins spread throughout the site, with interiors informed by the minimalist Shaker aesthetic. Functional pieces are intended to highlight craftsmanship over style.

"We've done a lot of sourcing from local makers, we really tried to highlight that to give people a sense of place and authenticity," said O'Shea.

"We want people to feel like they're at home, and that you can make this space your own."

O'Shea also discussed how the hotel design industry could find ways to work with social distancing guidelines, rather than be limited by them.

"When we got involved with the project, it was actually at the height of the pandemic," he said. "And as we were looking at the site, it was like, this is kind of built for this post-COVID world."

"It wasn't intentional, but it's been a great coincidence of how this project was developed and kind of the world that we're living in right now."

This video was produced by Dezeen for AHEAD as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here. Images courtesy of AHEAD.

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Dezeen teamed up with Dassault Systèmes to host a live talk exploring circularity in design and the role of technology in transitioning to a circular economy.

Moderated by Dezeen's chief content officer Benedict Hobson, the talk featured Anne Asensio, vice president of design experience at Dassault Systèmes, Gemma Curtin, curator at London's Design Museum, and Joe Iles, circular design programme lead at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

Titled Design for Life: Circular Design and Technology, the conversation explored what true circularity in design means, how we transition to a circular economy and what role designers and technology have to play.

Talk coincides with Design Museum installation and exhibition

The talk coincides with an installation called Aurora, a collaboration between Dassault Systèmes and architect Arthur Mamou-Mani, which aims to demonstrate how 3D-printable materials can be used to create structures that can be recycled or repurposed.

Aurora is currently installed at the Design Museum in London alongside its new exhibition Waste Age: What can design do?

Asensio will talk about the Aurora installation and how it fits into Dassault Systèmes' wider Design for Life programme.

Curtin will present some of the themes and ideas explored in the Waste Age exhibition, which she co-curated, while Iles will share insights from his work with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation around the circular economy.

Asensio joined Dassault Systèmes in 2008 as vice president of design experience after working as a design director at General Motors and Renault.

In her current role, she guides the brand's strategy and connects it with designers to help them generate and realise projects using Dassault Systèmes' technology.

Iles is circular design programme lead at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Joe’s role is to inspire and empower millions of designers to create products, services, and systems for the circular economy.

He was previously editor-in-chief of Circulate, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s circular economy news channel, and has spoken about the circular economy at numerous events.

Curtin is a curator at the Design Museum in London where she is responsible for exhibitions covering contemporary architecture, product design and fashion.

She co-curated the Design Museum's current exhibition Waste Age, which explores how design has contributed to the rise of throwaway culture and how the industry can help to create an alternative circular economy that doesn't exploit the planet.

Design for Life: Circular Design and Technology takes place at 11:00am London time on 12 November 2021. For details of more architecture and design events, visit Dezeen Events Guide.

Partnership content

This talk was produced by Dezeen for Dassault Systèmes as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen's partnership content here.

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