Tabla de contenidos para #15 en Design Anthology, Asia Pacific Edition

Welcome to Issue 15 of Design Anthology, our annual year-end edition with a distinctively international flavour. The team has rounded up features that cross borders as far and as wide as Bali, Niseko, Singapore, Seoul and the Pearl River Delta for our Dossier reportage, while I’ve hand-picked my edits from the autumn edition of Maison&Objet Paris for our Fiera section. Along with our usual line-up of new hotel openings, we bring you the story behind the long-awaited renovation of the iconic Hôtel de Crillon, a Rosewood Hotel in Paris, plus the stunning Killiehuntly Farmhouse & Cottage, an escape nestled deep in the evocative landscape of the Scottish Cairngorms. For Vernissage, we bring you an assemblage of features on galleries, artists and curators from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney and Japan to…

Making House: Designers at Home by Dominic Bradbury, photography by Richard Powers (Rizzoli) The most recent title by design documenters Dominic Bradbury and Richard Powers, Making House: Designers at Home explores the rare and often unseen world inside designers’ minds as expressed in their most honest and intimate work — their own homes. The book covers designers from a diverse array of fields such as interiors, product, textiles and architecture, and from an equally wide range of environments from Manhattan to a Moroccan village and a farmhouse in Brazil. For the designers who live in them, the homes act as spaces for experimentation and exploration of new and novel ideas — laboratories of sorts, without the limitations of timelines and budgets involved in client-driven projects. Perhaps what makes these homes…

In a country where credit is king and plastic is used to pay for everything from a new car to your public bus fare, innovative and well-designed knowledge spaces have become a way to attract new cardholders. The Hyundai Card library series launched in 2013 with the Design Library in Seoul’s Gahoe-dong district, the historical home to the city’s scholarly elite. Designed by leading local studio One O One, the structure is centred around an internal jung jeong courtyard in an updated take on Korea’s traditional hanok form. The exhaustive collection of art and design books housed within has been curated by an international team of design authorities and ranges from limited-edition art books to every issue of Domus ever printed since 1928 and everything in between. On an overcast…

French designer Maximilian Jencquel has made the plunge and relocated to the idyllic surrounds of Bali. Design Anthology spoke to him about his decision to move, how the new location has changed his craft and where it’s taking him next in his evolution as a designer. Why did you decide to move to Bali? I grew up in Venezuela, where I spent a lot of time outdoors, camping and travelling to remote areas. So the idea of living close to nature was a key part of my formative years. And then for my graduate thesis project, I drew inspiration from the lifestyle and people of Ubud, whose lives seemed to reflect an essence that Thoreau writes about in Walden. In particular, I was moved by the following passage: ‘I did…

THE PHILIPPINES Beta by Jinggoy Buensuceso ‘My work is a hybrid of art and design that goes beyond form and function’ I like the combination of organic and linear forms, and this is reflected in the objects I make. Art, nature and lines are my top three sources of inspiration. I live in The Black House where I am most inspired by black my infinite canvas of possibilities and nature that feeds my soul and ideas. I like challenging myself in every material I use and try mastering them. Metal is my primary material — I like the simplicity of it, but more so, I like its daring quality as it reacts with various elements. THAILAND Atelier 2+ by Ada Chirakranont and Worapong Manupipatpong ‘We don’t see ourselves as the…

From the striking Gallery Residence in an otherwise-nondescript suburban cul-de-sac, one determined woman is orchestrating a campaign to put Kuala Lumpur on the international art map. Shalini Ganendra jokes that she has a ‘genetic predisposition for design’. Born into a family of Sri Lankan collectors, living with works of art and supporting the artists who create them comes naturally to her. But whether by birthright or vocation, the advisor and cultural entrepreneur has become one of Malaysia’s most passionate advocates for contemporary art, supporting artists, educating audiences and advising collectors through a portfolio of diverse initiatives. Ganendra is openly driven by curiosity and discovery, and this manifests in her work. ‘She's a progressive visionary and innovator, exemplified in her range of shows and her emphasis on multidisciplinary art forms, cross-cultural…

Your work explores many themes including the inner child. What was your own childhood like? My childhood was happy. Growing up, my mum always had a space she used as a painting studio in the house, where she kept canvases, paints and art books. She spent evenings or mornings painting and I’d accompany her and make my own paintings and drawings. She taught me little tricks about colour mixing and the different brushes. My grandmother was also a big influence on my creativity. She used to teach arts and crafts for some friends and me at home, and she taught me a great deal about using your hands. So creating has always been an integral part of my life — it played a significant role in my childhood and has…

The rise of Hong Kong designers began in the 1950s and 60s when many promising and ambitious professionals, having escaped communist China, began to establish practices in the British colony, joining a growing number of overseas graduates returning to Hong Kong. Conditions were ripe for young designers, thanks to robust economic growth providing opportunities in both the public and private sectors. Only one thing was missing: an architectural movement. Up to that point, Hong Kong’s architectural identity was confused at best, and aesthetically dubious.In the educational system,architecture fell under the purview of engineering, with significant input by local contractors in the building proccess, explaining why the architectural scene was left wanting. Architectural historian Else Glahn wrote of this period that ‘the design of a building was not art but craft.…

Mars has been scoured by a solar wind for billions of years, its thin atmosphere sputtering away past its two moons to dissipate into the cosmos. The planet’s climate is usually frigid, swept incessantly by dust storms and prone to carbon dioxide blizzards in the winter, but can also be scalding. As unappealing as this may sound, China’s National Space Administration has announced plans to launch its first mission to Mars in 2020, giving new reasons for space enthusiasts to dream. Indeed, galactic dreams were the inspiration behind the MAD Martian Collection of futuristic furniture by Ma Yansong, founder and principal of Beijing’s MAD Architects. Fascinated by the history and material language of sci-fi, Ma says: ‘I enjoyed creating a hybrid condition for this fictitious interior space that highlighted nostalgia…

Once a casualty of our modern-day obsession with minimalist interiors, the ancient art of passementerie is making a comeback, transforming traditional notions of decorative trimmings such as braids, tassels and fringing. The revival has been led in no small part by the forward-thinking, London-based duo Robbie Spina and Joe Zito, who employ all the savoir faire of traditional craftsmanship alongside a sense of playfulness in their fresh, contemporary style. Since founding Spina Design in 2000, the designers have turned tradition on its head, reinvigorating the humble accessory with a jolt of colour and joy delivered through an unexpected mix of extravagant materials. Think a flash of farmed red coral and sparkling crystal, amber and mohair, banded agate, tiger’s eye, and even ethereal stripped goose feathers and mink, all held together…

ZENS x Michael Young ‘All my design works are transcultural; they all show my respect for each brand or culture’ Hong Kong-based Michael Young teamed up with Chinese brand ZENS to create a collection launched internationally at Maison&Objet. Working with just a handful of materials, including bamboo and bone china — both readily available and representative of China’s craft heritage — each of the products is handmade. Young has created a collection of home accessories and furniture that is representative of his decade-long stay in Asia, and consists of various table-top pieces, lighting and a table and chair. AlvinT ‘We wanted to display a softer but modern side of Indonesian design’ This edition of Maison&Objet marks the first time young Indonesian designer Alvin Tjitrowirjo has presented his work at the…

On an unassuming side street in Hong Kong’s Wan Chai district, a new establishment is setting a new direction for the city’s boutique hotel scene. Drawing inspiration from one of the city’s more evocative icons — the Star Ferry — the newly renovated Fleming Hotel channels the spirit of the vessels that, since 1888, have plied the banks of Victoria Harbour, transporting passengers from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon and back on a voyage full of yesteryear’s charm. A year in the making, the hotel’s top-to-toe renovation was overseen by local design firm Substance, led by Maxime Dautresme. ‘The Star Ferry was for us a great icon to play with,’ he explains. ‘It’s a beautiful piece of engineering and a three-D time machine all in one.’ The inspired interiors thus…

An unassuming concrete wall and a bare three-storey facade lie tucked inside a quiet cul-de-sac off one of Little Baguio’s residential-turned-commercial streets. The neighbourhood is one in transition, populated by restaurants and small shops interspersed among old homes and newer townhouses. The home of Eric and Ali Paragas is, from the outside, nondescript. Its narrow frontage belies the wealth of design inspiration and history found behind its front wall. ‘We like how it doesn’t seem assuming,’ says Ali, an antique aficionado who grew up among her grandmother’s decades-old furniture pieces and decorative objects in the province. ‘You go in though, and see that we have a big, open space.’ Just a year and a half old, the Paragas home was built from scratch from foundation to roof deck. It’s…

On a sunny and bright afternoon in early autumn, the Seoullo 7017 ‘skygarden’ — Seoul’s answer to New York’s High Line — is thronged with weekend leisure seekers. A craft market has set up, selling honey from an urban apiary, homemade jams and patchwork potholders, while nearby a group of friends crown each other with flower garlands and cheese for the camera in a makeshift photo booth. Multigenerational families wend their way between the imposing concrete planters, grandmothers attempting to coddle squirming toddlers anxious to scamper wildly across the concrete walkway. In its final form, the project is a far cry from the original concept put forward by Dutch firm MVRDV — watered down by budget restrictions and the typical bureaucratic hurdles — yet its popularity persists, the crowds none…

A statue of Trondheim’s grim-faced founder King Olaf Tryggvason bears down on the public as they shiver and shuffle through the icy central square of what was once Norway’s Viking capital. Perched high on a column facing the dark waters to the north, the late king’s effigy enjoys an enviable vantage point of Kongens gate and its faintly mediaeval-themed Christmas market, which sells jars of local jam alongside kitsch t-shirts embossed with Nordic motifs like huskies as well as more modern Americana. Just a hop away lies the city’s real shopping magnet, its largest mall Torg, lit up with fairy lights and rammed with shoppers stocking up on woollen undergarments as they brace for the winter’s unrelenting gloom. Opposite, an Irish bar is a popular spot for ruddy-nosed students putting…

Ministry of Design’s works are characterised by spectacle and wit — qualities perfectly suited to the design of creative offices and boutique hotels, which comprise much of the Singapore firm’s portfolio. But what about a laboratory for robotics? This was a challenge the multidisciplinary design firm faced and gamely welcomed when hired by the Robotics Application Centre of Excellence to design a display and education space. A collaboration between Nanyang Technological University and local precision engineering company PBA Group, the lab aims to advance the use of automated robotics within existing manufacturing industries in Singapore to drive Industry 4.0 change. Located in Yishun Industrial Park, it holds robotics courses at various levels for everyone from policymakers to business owners. A mysterious blackened lift lobby splayed with white stripes provides an…

Niseko’s natural beauty and pristine ski slopes are no secret, but an inventive new cultural hub is set to help this picturesque Hokkaido resort town make its mark in the contemporary art world too. The pioneering project by creative entrepreneur Shouya Grigg is a unique landscape-meets-architecture-meets-art initiative in nearby Hanazono that encompasses a contemporary gallery, exhibition and events space alongside private dining with a chef ’s table, and a tea room. All are housed in a 150-year-old Japanese kominka (traditional farmhouse), dismantled by hand and relocated from Tochigi Prefecture to Japan’s northernmost island. The setting is perfect: perched on a vertiginous mountainside with spectacular views over a heavily forested,untouched valley,the distinctive two-storey structure is embedded into the slope, seamlessly connecting the building, outdoor terraces and dramatic landscape. The transmogrification of…

CITY In the heart of Paris’s premier arrondissement and just a short walk from the Jardin des Tuileries and the Seine is bijou 45-room hotel The Nolinski. Designer Jean-Louis Deniot — the darling of those in the know — has adopted a palette of soft greys and jewel tones throughout each unique room. Brasserie Réjane on the ground floor is the perfect place to dine before retiring to the grand salon for a digestif, and the subterranean pool and hammam are the perfect jetlag remedy. At the centre of Taipei’s business district, every inch of S Hotel bears the signature eclecticism and playfulness of French designer Philippe Starck. Tribal thrones are paired with contemporary leather furnishings against a technicolour backdrop of bespoke carpets and overhead artworks by local Cha-Ray Chu.…

Despite a US$170 million budget and international publicity campaign to promote the design led by Rem Koolhaas’s team at OMA, construction on the Taipei Performing Arts Center, scheduled for completion in 2016, ground to a halt towards the end of last year when the leading contractor suddenly and unexpectedly declared bankruptcy. This high-profile setback came on the heels of major delays at another nearby project — the Taipei Dome. Originally planned to break ground in 2007, construction only began in 2011 after serial delays and progress since has moved at a glacial pace. The city’s entrenched bureaucracy has been cited as a major culprit, as have corruption and poor business practices. Meanwhile, halfway down the island’s western seaboard in Taiwan’s second-largest city, the scenario is something quite different. With the…