Architecture

Interview: German industrial designer Richard Sapper has launched a new website chronicling his work dating back to the 1950s. In an interview looking back on his career he tells Dezeen how he turned down the chance to work at Apple, how design has been "degraded" by commercialism and how 3D printing could help solve unemployment (+ slideshow). Tizio desk lamp, Artemide, 1972: photograph by Serge Libiszewski Speaking from his home in Milan, Sapper, 81, recounts how Steve Jobs once tried to lure him to work for Apple, "but the circumstances weren't right because I didn't want to move to California and I had very interesting work here that I didn't want to abandon." When asked if he regretted turning Jobs down he said: "Sure I regret it – the man who then did it [Jonathan Ive] makes $30 million a year!" TS 502 radio, Brionvega, 1963: photograph by Serge Libiszewski In a career spanning almost 60 years, Sapper has designed iconic products including the Tizio lamp, the ThinkPad range of laptops for IBM and the 9091 whistling kettle for Alessi. Grillo Telephone, Siemens Italtel, 1965: photograph by Roberto Zabban Sapper says that he admires the work of Jonathan Ive and Steve Jobs at Apple, citing the company as an exception in an industry he feels has been "degraded" by an overriding focus on profit. "If a company asks me to design something, the first thing I hear is how much money they're making, how much money they want to make, and I'm expected to produce the difference." 9090 espresso coffee maker, Alessi, 1978: photograph by Aldo Ballo Richard Sapper was born in 1932 and was first employed as a stylist with Daimler Benz in Stuttgart. He founded his own studio in Milan in 1959 and worked as a consultant for many of Italy's leading companies, including Brionvega, Fiat and Pirelli. ThinkPad 701, IBM, 1996: photograph by Aldo Ballo He is renowned for his work with technology brands, including IBM, for whom he has been chief industrial design consultant since 1980. Algol portable TV set 3rd edition (first designed with Marco Zanuso), Brionvega, 1985: photograph by Aldo Ballo When asked about 3D printing and its impact on the design industry, Sapper describes it as "a huge revolution," and adds, "it is revolution that allows anyone who has such a machine the possibility to produce something that they have invented themselves. This can help to reduce the problem of unemployment because people are able to produce something without having to be employed." 9091 kettle, Alessi, 1983: photograph by Aldo Ballo Sapper's 9091 whistling kettle for Alessi is one of several iconic kettles described by Design Museum director Deyan Sudjic in a film made by Dezeen for the Design Museum Collection App for iPad. Sapperchair executive office chairs and seating system, Knoll, 1979: photograph by Aldo Ballo Other clients include Alessi, Artemide, Kartell, Knoll, Lenovo and Magis. Zoombike folding bicycle, Elettromontaggi, 2000 Despite his prodigious career, Sapper says he launched a new website, designed by London studio Julia, because "I've been working in design for over 50 years and most people still don't know my work." Sapper XYZ monitor arm system, Knoll, 2012: photograph by Jens Mortensen for Knoll Here's a transcript of Richard Sapper talking with Alyn Griffiths from Dezeen: Alyn Griffiths: Your website documents a career going back all the way to the 1950s. How has design changed in that time? Richard Sapper: There have been enormous changes. When I was young and starting out, industrial designers all worked for somebody who owned a company. Some of those company owners wanted to make good-looking things because there is pleasure associated with good forms. In many ways these people were idealists. They didn't make more money because they made a beautiful design. Today, it seems to me that money is the only reason to make design. If a company asks me to design something, the first thing I hear is how much money they're making, how

Floating Barn is a lakeside residence designed for long Latvian summers. The two-story house features living spaces, a bathroom and a small deck on the first floor, and a sleeping area is located on the second floor. By using one material for both walls and roofs, a homogenous look is achieved. The pontoon base of the house features storage tanks for clean water, filtered graywater and fuel. The plans call for the use one kind of wooden material for both the walls and roofs, giving the finished house a modern, homogenous look, as if the entire structure was cut from one block. On the deck side, the side wall is made of glass to provide views of the water and to let in natural light. The overhanging roof also provides shade for the long summer nights of Northern Europe. For inspiration we looked at old fishing shacks that used to line the riverbanks in the Baltic Sea port of Pavilosta, Latvia. Rather than building on the land directly, however, the modern buildings would be tied to piers on the water. This would allow the homes to be easily towed to other docks, if needed, or grouped together in a floating community. Architects: NRJA Design Team: Uldis Lukševics, Linda Leit?ne-Šm?dberga Area: 80.0 sqm Year: 2012 Photographs: Courtesy of NRJA Floating Barn Proposal / NRJA originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 19 Jun 2013.send to Twitter | Share on Facebook | What do you think about this?

Photography by Glen Jackson Taylor for Core77 The Campana Brothers' solo exhibition at New York City's Friedman Benda gallery marks not only the duo's first solo show in the U.S. but also the 30th anniversary of the studio. Simply titled Concepts, the exhibition delivers exactly that with a collection of superbly well-executed one-off pieces made from exotic materials and their signature labor-intensive handcraft techniques. At first glance, it's a natural materials-fest: showstoppers include the "Pirarucu Cabinet," a free standing dresser upholstered in pirarucu fish scales; the Boca (Portuguese for "mouth") collection covered in patches of cowhide; and an incredible "Alligator Sofa," 'upholstered' with tiny stuffed leather alligator toys by Orientavida, an NGO that teaches underprivileged women embroidery skills. The heavy emphasis on material experimentation and any notions of sustainability are reinforced with the galleries walls and floor covered entirely in a coconut fiber matting, imparting a womb-like warmth and suggesting a humble setting for what can only be described as design collectibles. Freed from the constraints of designing for production, the brothers have taken the opportunity to explore ideas, processes and forms without concern for outcome, in fact it feels very much like the objects themselves (be it a table or chair) are just a means of demonstrating proof-of-concept for new techniques. One of the most iconic pieces in show—a tough call, given how much everything begs for attention—is the "Racket Chair (Tennis)," featuring a hand-stitched motif made from remnant backings of Thonet chairs. Another striking piece, made from leftovers, is the "Detonado Chair," which is crafted out of the scraps of caning that are discarded after a chair is repaired (At the press preview, Humberto joked that it took a lot of persuasion to convince the artisan to seriously consider producing a chair for them with these worthless scraps). The exhibition runs till July 3rd and all the highlights can be seen in our latest gallery here.(more...)

In recent years, high profile news outlets like The New York Times and CNN have featured architects’ struggles by citing the dire unemployment statistic of 13.9% for recent graduates, the highest of any college major.  Many architecture firms are still reluctant to hire new full-time members to their team, and all too often students and recent graduates remain without work. Since approximately 40% of architecture graduates pursue work outside of the architectural profession, and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) currently reports 26,850 students enrolled in accredited architecture programs, we can assume that over the following years 10,000 students trained as architects will forge their own path in a variety of other occupations. One of the most creative, high profile fields that can offer an architect a wide range of positions is the film industry. And, in fact, those with architectural backgrounds have been making the transition into the filmmaking industry for decades.  Our timeline showcases a sample of those with an architectural education who have enjoyed enormous success in the filmmaking industry over the last 80 years as actors, set designers, or directors. You can read more about their stories (including how Jimmy Stewart went from architecture to acting), after the break…   Readers may be surprised to learn that Academy Award winning actors and classic film legends, Jimmy Stewart and Anthony Quinn, both have architectural education backgrounds. Jimmy Stewart graduated from Princeton University with his architectural degree in 1932. Ever since he was a boy, he had a strong interest in aviation, and so his architectural thesis focused on airport design. He began his acting career before entering the Army Air Corps in World War II, acting in 29 motion pictures from 1935-39.  Stewart went on to star in four Alfred Hitchcock blockbusters, Rope, Rear Window, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Vertigo and over 80 films over the course of his career.  He received highly-sought after recognition for his acting abilities, culminating in an Academy Award for Best Actor in 1941 for The Philadelphia Story. Our graphic below showcases a sample of some of his most famous films in which he had a starring role. For architecture graduates considering a career in the film industry, set design may be the most obvious avenue of entrance.  One example of an architecture grad who made that leap is Anshuman Prasad, who graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2003 with his Master of Architecture.  After writing his thesis Beyond Mise-En-Scene: Narrative Through Architecture in Main Stream Cinema (1980-2002), Prasad moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a set designer.  He is now a member of the Art Director’s Guild. One of his latest projects as set designer is the film Captain America: Winter Soldier.  From 2005-2013, he has been involved in many blockbuster films, including Die Hard 4, The Hangover, No Strings Attached, and Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, as shown in our timeline below. Prasad views his film career as more of a specialization rather than abandonment of architecture, as his time as set designer has given him a new appreciation for the mood and character of spaces.  In particular, light, shade, reflections and rain create incredible variations within a space.  The benefit of being a set designer is that all these conditions can be controlled. He also believes that the most critical aspect of set design is proportion, and here his architecture degree is especially useful. Looking back on his career transition, Prasad reminisced, “I believe it was the diversity of the work that has always attracted me to set design and there was a lot of passion as well, after all, this was Hollywood.  For someone who still believes in the magic, it was a dream job.” Before becoming a virtual set designer, Tino Schaedler began his architecture career at The University of Hanove

Architects: Solis Colomer Arquitectos Location: Villa de los Niños, Guatemala Area: 2,400 sqm Year: 2007 Photography: Courtesy of Solis Colomer arquitectos The “Children’s Village” Library located in Zone 6 of Guatemala is part of the Educational Facilities of the same name, a project developed by the Sisters of Mary, which focuses on training underprivileged children. This new set of buildings is part of the last phase of the educational complex, which has more than 15,000 m2 of construction distributed in modules of classrooms, workshops and sports facilities. The project is a tripartite composition that includes a library, auditorium, classrooms and workshops. We tried to bring the three modules in a square configuration, leaving an empty center space, which recalls the housing typology of the central courtyard, which is engraved in the collective memory of the inhabitants of the city. This residual space has the quality of integrating with the rest of the public space of the entire complex, resulting in a set of scales ranging from the public to the private, giving the student an intimate place for labor. In turn, this space is covered with a pergolas system, which allows the filtering of light and the protection of the user. Each of the modules that make up the complex have been treated with a different formality and materiality, noting the difference in the functions performed in each of the parts of the composition: The white glazed brick is used in workshops and classrooms, this functions are contained in modules that formally looks like the common typology of the house of two roofs; the typical brick is integrated into the auditorium, which is contained in a module of spiral planimetry that consistently meets the needs of an area as specific as this; at last we consider “connection modules”, which are formed by the vertical circulation and bridges that consolidate all modules in a single composition. These “connection modules” are semitransparent elements that serve as joints between solids, so we had to take care that they give the impression of being lighter than the classroom modules workshops and auditorium. The answer to this problem is solved with the choice of two types of coatings. The first, a composition of aluminum profiles and microperforated sheet, which at first glance gives the impression of being solid, until it is intersected by daylight or nightlight, highlighting the transparency of the skin, and also working as a natural vent for the vertical circulations that are contained in this module. The second coating conform a lattice that covers the different bridges connecting the workshops modules. The Library and its other components make an integration of materiality and formality with the culture of the place, resulting in a new architecture, but with clearly legible references to the past. This project becomes therefore an iconic building for the complex and all the Zone 6 area, in which the complex is located. Villa de los Niños Library / Solis Colomer Arquitectos originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 19 Jun 2013.send to Twitter | Share on Facebook | What do you think about this?

Japanese architect Shigeru Ban has revealed his competition-winning design for a campus of timber buildings to house the headquarters of watch brands Swatch and Omega in Biel, Switzerland. The architect will add three new buildings to accompany Omega's existing offices, creating a consolidated campus and visitor centre that incorporates exhibition galleries, public plazas and a riverside hiking trail. Using the engineering technologies of a nearby timber institution, each of the new structures will be built with a solid timber frame. Pillar and beam constructions will be used for a museum building and Omega production hall, while the Swatch headquarters building will feature an undulating timber gridshell. "I wanted to design something very special and particularly appropriate for this city," said Shiguru Ban at the project launch. "I know that Biel is very famous for its timber technologies – they have the most advanced timber institution." Describing how the structure of his Centre Pompidou-Metz was tested in Biel, he added: "Timber is the only renewable material for construction in the world. This building is going to be very important, not only for the company, but also for creating a new environment, creating the icon for the city of Biel." The museum building will form the centre of the campus and will be raised off the ground to open up a new entrance plaza. The curving body of the Swatch headquarters will branch out from the museum, extending the plaza out across the street. The project is set for completion in the summer of 2015. It will be the second building Ban has worked on for Swatch, after he completed the brand's Japanese headquarters in Ginza, Tokyo, in 2007. Ban's other recent projects include a pavilion with cardboard columns in Moscow and a New York store for footwear brand Camper. See more architecture by Shigeru Ban. Here's a statement from Shigeru Ban: I was very happy to win this competition to design the Headquarters for Swatch and Omega. This project is very important not only for Swatch and Omega but also for the city of the Biel. I wanted to design something very special and particularly appropriate for this city. And I know that Biel is very famous for its timber technologies – they have the most advanced timber institution. Even the Pompidou Center in Metz – we designed the timber roof and this was tested at the timber institution in Biel. So this city is well known for the timber technology – the most advanced timber technology, that's why most of the building is designed with timber. Actually timber is the only renewable material for construction in the world. So this is also very important for the environment of the future. And this building – this project – is going to be very important not only for the company, but also for creating a new environment, creating the icon for the city of Biel. So this is the aim for this project – not only for functional reasons. Also I have to explain that the Swatch Group has been working very closely with us. I also won the competition for the Swatch building which is called the Nicolas G. Hayek Center in Tokyo in 2005. We built the 14 storey building in Ginza Tokyo which is the most important commercial area in Japan. This building is also very innovative. We opened them – all the buildings – to the street to take natural ventilation. So the innovation of the building was the most important point which pleased Mr Hayek when we proposed the competition. And the important point of this building is not only the shape of the building but also the innovative idea for the Swatch and Omega companies – as you know, the Swatch is the innovation of Mr Hayek. That was totally revolutionary for the history of watchmaking. So we tried for the project to propose something very innovative as a building, as the Swatch is very innovative for the watch technologies. So that's the kind of common idea between watchmaking and my proposal design for the building for Swat

Lynn Becker recently visited the exhibition, Modernism's Messengers: The Art of Alfonso and Margaret Iannelli, at the Chicago Cultural Center and provides a detailed review, along with photos, a video, and a shout-out to the book Alfonso Iannelli: Modern By Design which is available for preorder here. See Lynn's review here and see this show before it's over!Image via Lynn Becker

Plan on attending Buffalo, NY on Sunday, July 1st, 2013 from 7-11pm for the 3rd annual Light Up The Wright at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fontana Boathouse, right on the Black Rock Canal, where you’ll have the best view of the Friendship Festival fireworks anywhere in Buffalo. Details here.Image via buffalorising.com

PrairieMod reader and owner of a stunning Carl Graffunder-designed home in Minneapolis sent word that the Mod home is on the market and waiting for the next steward to enjoy it. See all the information here. See more Minneapolis Graffunder architecture here.Image via 1722oliver.com

wants a Sr. Industrial Designerin Chicago, Illinois Do you want to create new products for one of Inc. Magazine's fastest growing companies and make kids of all ages super happy at the same time? When you work for Radio Flyer, that's literally part of the job description. Radio Flyer is looking for a Senior Industrial Designer with 5 to 10 years of experience in toy and/or consumer product design. To succeed in this role, a positive attitude, sense of humor, and openness to give and receive constructive feedback are a must. Apply Now (more...)