Tabla de contenidos para November 2016 - February 2017 en (inside) interior design review

Say ‘Thonet’ and the refined elegance of the bentwood chair springs instantly to mind. Lauded for a simplicity of form that belies its strength, the Thonet Bentwood chair is as robust as it is graceful, classic and unabashedly a champion for the tactility and warmth of wood. It is not surprising then, that when Thonet secures exclusive representation of an international design house, as it has recently done with Stolab, the brand reflects the attributes for which Thonet is so very highly regarded. New to Australia, these unique designs from Sweden continue the tradition of fine Scandinavian craftsmanship, environmental responsibility and a love of timber that is truly expressed in each piece. Similarly, the aesthetic of Scandinavian design is beautifully explored through minimal design principles that celebrate materiality and overall…

To equal Won’s reputation, global prominence and the quality of the food, the interior of this new restaurant had to be something special. In a city such as Kuala Lumpur (KL) food is central to life and living. Street food is everywhere – delicious rendangs, chicken curries and so much more, with stalls, cafés and restaurants crowding the streets and shopping malls. But the opening of a new fine dining restaurant still gives cause for celebration, as Enfin by James Won, steps on to the KL food stage to woo, not only the locals, but the international foodie elite as well. Enfin by James Won is the new iteration of Enfin Brasserie, Won’s former establishment, but takes the dining experience to another level, raising the bar on fine dining in…

Originally proposed as a temporary incubator-style hub for business start-ups, Base 64 has proven to be such a desirable location that all available tenancy areas have been permanently leased. Base 64 is the result of a unique creative collaboration between technology entrepreneur and environmentalist Simon Hackett and specialist residential design practice Williams Burton Leopardi. The site, on the inner eastern extension of Adelaide’s cultural boulevard, North Terrace, has been transformed from a cluster of disparate and disconnected buildings and additions into a mini innovation precinct for commercial tenants. The original buildings comprise an 1865 Victorian mansion and stables. Various additional buildings and extensions have been added over the years, serving as the residence of a former South Australian premier (1900s), a theological college (1920s), a visual effects studio (1980s) and…

KAREN ABERNETHY ARCHITECTS P | KATHERINE LU After graduating from Melbourne University in 2001, Abernethy honed her skills in local and international studios in Melbourne, Florence and Lugano before establishing Karen Abernethy Architects (KAA) in 2012. Since then she has created a number of small and refined projects, including single houses, residential alterations, additions and commercial interiors. Key to her success is an interest in the celebration of place and purpose, and the creation of beautifully crafted buildings where design is used to make connections between space, its surroundings and the human experience. Jewel house, for example, explores light and shadow through layered and sculptural opacities to create a glimmering interior that was a finalist in the Think Brick Awards – Horbury Hunt Residential Award and received a commendation in…

ORA DESK LAMP ROSS GARDAM P | HAYDN CATTACH Ora desk lamp exudes a masterful level of sophistication and expression – a rare combination of bold yet timeless restraint. The design leaves you steeped in the notion that this object has the potential to become iconic. HELEN KONTOURIS, IDEA 2016 JURY The precision-machined gold form of the Ora desk lamp is characterised by a distinct orbiting shade that can be tilted to direct the warm glow or cycle around the body. The hidden magnetic joint also allows the Ora shade to snap back into the horizontal position for absolute symmetry in repose. The result of a desire for purity and honesty in both materials and manufacturing, the Ora desk lamp is completely precision-milled from aluminium. It is then gold anodised.…

WOODS BAGOT OFFICE MELBOURNE WOODS BAGOT P | PETER BENNETTS This project delivers an on-point contemporary solution to the creative environment. The rough concrete cool meets the smooth knife-edge steel, the raw and honest industrial shell meets the beautifully detailed timber cocoon. The planning is a juxtaposition of sinewy curves and rigid grid patterns. This working environment stood out for its overall aesthetic and functional appeal, boldly demonstrating a sensitive and well-balanced approach to the need for a collaborative environment. The generosity of the timber exudes a warmth and modernity, which in turn shapes a most appealing workplace or is it a living space? NIC GRAHAM, IDEA 2016 JURY To design its own office, Woods Bagot embarked on a consultative workplace strategy to gather feedback from all staff ranging from…

WORK WITH ME HERE SIBLING P | TOBIAS TITZ In this project, the jury were entertained by the overlap between the event program and the considered interior curation of an interactive space that successfully blurred the lines into one holistic sensory experience. The idea of colour, white noise and digital media feeds reacting to the interior volume was engaging and unexpected: providing the artist with an opportunity to suggest the process of making is equally as exciting as the end product. TIM JACKSON, IDEA 2016 JURY Designed for Nathan Gray’s solo exhibition, Work With Me Here, this project transforms a gallery into a working studio. Starting at ground zero of the artistic process the artist builds up his work over the duration of the show. Facilitated by the interior spaces,…

 Humanscale: a human-centred approach “Passive ergonomics means the fit between the environment and the person is automatically adjusted.”KIRSTY ANGERER ASSOCIATE ERGONOMIST, HUMANSCALE AUS/NZ Ergonomics has come a long way since the cumbersome lever-and-button chairs with which most people would be familiar. These days there’s a more holistic approach with even more impetus on making sure employees are comfortable while working, and with good reason when a study in the US* has shown that productivity loss due to common pains has accounted for $61.2 billion to businesses. Humanscale has been consulting with a cross-discipline team of bio-mechanists, ergonomists and occupational therapists since 2002, educating companies and their employees on the value and importance of comfortable workspaces. When considering the average worker spends 64 to 70 hours per week sitting, an environment…

01 | FINK + CO BOWL This beautiful bowl was designed by leading Australian designer Robert Foster, who established FINK + Co. He was extremely talented, innovative and a great mentor and teacher. This bowl was given to me by Katherine Kalaf, herself a very talented jeweller and promoter of Australian designers, who gave Robert his first solo show in Sydney. The bowl has special meaning for me. Image John Gollings 02 | PHILIP WOLFHAGEN, FIRST ILLUSORY FIELD1991. This painting was one of five from his first solo exhibition in Sydney at Syme Dodson Gallery in Surry Hills. The exhibition sold out to major collectors, then a few years later I was offered a chance to buy it. As I was renovating my apartment, I asked architect Sam Marshall to…

As a company Zenith has been supplying the Australasian architecture and design market with excellent products for many years. Its offering has always included the very best in interior and commercial products that push the boundaries of style and innovation; however, with the inclusion of a new brand to its portfolio the myriad furniture options have been expanded to an unprecedented level. The new brand is Brunner, a German furniture manufacturer with decades of experience supplying high quality office, hospitality and healthcare furniture to the European market. Brunner is a family-owned company, with a head office and a manufacturing plant located in Rheinau, Baden in Germany. The ethos of Brunner is in step with that of Zenith; both companies have a deep respect for their business, coupled with a passion…

Melbourne penthouse is such a construction: a beautiful, lofty, exploration of colour shifting through space. It is then highly appropriate that the apartment is home to an avid art collector. More importantly still, it belongs to an art collector who wanted his home to be as remarkable as the objects he collects and not a passive gallery-esque expanse of white. As Phelan explains, “He didn’t want the usual suspects, he didn’t want it Scandinavian, he didn’t want it mid-century. To be frank, he said, ‘Kerry, I want this apartment to be f@#$*d up,’ he wanted something new.” Add to this “a beautiful ever-expanding collection of artworks that make you think” and you have an extraordinary brief. “I think it’s quite wonderful to get a brief like that – one has…

WESTPAC BARANGAROO WORKPLACE OVER 1000SQM GEYER P | RICHARD GLOVER With a focus on sustainability, technology and wellness, Geyer has produced an innovative, flexible work environment, which encourages a seamless healthy and happier work/life balance. People-centric spaces have been achieved by integrating strategies from Westpac’s WorkSMART program where a holistic, human centred approach has resulted in features such as the installation of 10,000 plants to improve air quality, incorporation of healthy cafés and equitable access to natural light. JAN O’CONNOR, IDEA 2016 JURY With a sustainability reach that crosses all aspects for consideration, Westpac Barangaroo delivers a workplace where physical, social, psychological and spiritual wellness are matched with environmental innovations of extraordinary breadth. At 60,000 square metres, the workplace introduces a new working philosophy – WorkSmart – whereby a holistic,…

FLEX BARSTOOL AND TABLE ASH ALLEN WITH HARRY ZANIOS P | DANNY FUGE The Flex bar stool and table express a beautiful combination of detailing and lightness that instantly draws you in for further exploration. The objects convey the simplicity of exquisitely crafted and thoroughly considered design. HELEN KONTOURIS, IDEA 2016 JURY The Flex range meets the demands for improved ergonomics that have seen a growing trend to make workstations higher in office spaces. Both the stool and table are fully customisable in terms of height and finish, while highlighting the inherent strength and beauty of veneered birch ply. Taking Harry Zanios’ RMIT graduation project ‘Hexy Legs’ table leg detail as a starting point, the design simplifies the components and assembly to make a commercial bar stool and table. The…

AĒSOP KLCC RUSSELL & GEORGE P | IZ MADY + ELAINE YUEN The simplicity of the design and the execution in this retail fitout was yet another fine retail environment for this design savvy brand Aēsop. We felt that the product was presented as the hero, in a well-defined space using a minimal palette, while the rods created a sculptural veil to the workings and structural elements of the shop, set in a busy Asian mall. Careful use of lighting and a meticulous knowledge of product dimension makes this mathematical ‘less is more’ retail approach so inviting. NIC GRAHAM, IDEA 2016 JURY Progressive and forward thinking, yet delicate and subtle, the design strategies evoke thoughtful movement throughout the space to purposefully position patrons with the product in a gallery-like environment.…

MODERNISM WEEK PALM SPRINGS, 16 – 26 FEBRUARY 2017 Amid the fabulous cocktail parties, bus tours, fashion shows and mid-century hoopla, the highlights of this extraordinary week are the Sunnylands Historic House Tour and Frank Sinatra’s ‘Twin Palms’ Estate Tour. The first is deliberately intimate with a maximum of seven people for each tour. The houses are extraordinary; the tour guides are extremely well-informed. Sinatra’s tour is a self-guided tour run by the Palm Springs Preservation Society, which has been hugely instrumental in gaining the classic E Stewart Williams designed home of 1947 designated as a Class 1 Historic Site. And, while the bus tours are fun, the walking tours, despite being exterior only, are brilliant – sign up for all of them. TATSUO MIYAJIMA MCA, SYDNEY, 3 NOVEMBER –…

At one end of last night’s art ley line was Liverpool Street Gallery’s Steven Harvey show. Tonight there is an austerity to his work. The compressed fibre cement sheeting, the stuff of construction sites, is now a platform for his painting. I’ve been seduced by Harvey, but now he has taken away all that paint. This substantial painter offers me more with less, seduced by slab painting of the past, Harvey returns again and again to the same place wearing a path, asking you to go with him, why now so thin? It is not a bad thing to want more. Is it? I feel like stalking his mind, why did he do more with less? I’m like some drunk: I want a slab of it. I should have read…

“In an old building like this you have haphazard columns and beams. Our job as architects is to try and let all of that be the way it is, but bring order to the rooms.”William Smart Over the past 14 years, William Smart has been engaged to restore and bring back to life suites on three floors as Dr Morris has taken ownership. The most recent set of suites to benefit from Smart’s touch are those on level 1, which Morris purchased with the express purpose of ensuring their return to glory. An historic landmark in its own right, at 12 storeys BMA was a veritable skyscraper of its late 1920s era, winning the (UK) RIBA Award for Street Architecture in 1935 and the inaugural Australian awarding of the (UK)…

Elements bind together as a visually continuous aesthetic, without suffering the tedium of repetition. Pervading Inside-Out house is a design maturity born of rhythm and layered nuance that is usually reserved for far older and far larger practices. Rethinking, clarifying and reconceiving the house as a home, furnishings, lighting and an abundance of customisation are all considered and wholly fitting to the project. But, perhaps what makes it so exceptional is the unique and singular solutions created for each of the transformation’s needs. That these elements bind together as a visually continuous aesthetic, without suffering the tedium of repetition, gives the project a rich undercurrent while delivering a calm ambience. Very nicely done. Leveraging the dual expertise of the practice’s principals (interior architecture: Yasmine Ghoniem, and landscape architecture: Katy Svalbe),…

FIONA LYNCH This year the fine accolade of Designer of the Year has been awarded to Fiona Lynch. A designer of note for some 20 years, Lynch has excelled this year with the inclusion of three residential projects that capture the true essence of design with individuality, beauty and detailed resolution. Lynch’s career has been exceptional. Initially studying fine art (Honours), she then completed a bachelor of interior design at RMIT. While studying, she worked with Geyer and, on completion of her degrees, commenced work with MGT Architects in Canberra. Moving back to Melbourne, Lynch worked with John Wardle Architects, then Bates Smart before establishing Doherty Lynch in 2009 with Mardi Doherty. In 2013 Lynch again struck out on her own and formed Fiona Lynch, the practice. Over the past…

PENINSULA HOUSE SJB INTERIORS P | NICOLE ENGLAND Andrew and SJB really captured that mid-century character of the Peninsula house. The timber on the ceiling and the thoughtful but dynamic use of colour (to just the right extent) contribute to what feels like a considered, layered, really decorated interior. It’s innately ‘Andrew Parr’ yet it explores and creatively encapsulates the integrity of the building. I think it’s a real triumph. GREG NATALE, IDEA 2016 JURY Honouring the fabulous mid-century architecture of the 1958 Craig Ellwood house, the renovation delivers a home that is bold, contemporary and unrestrained – while being multilayered and finely considered. Of utmost importance, the home is welcoming, liveable and comforting, just as a home should be, and just as the owners required. The impact that this…

Established in 1851, Bendigo is a provincial town of note, with grand Victorian and Edwardian public buildings and modern shopping centres that altogether present an eclectic mix of architecture that is a testimony to the town’s history. Befitting a town that blends the old with the new, the Bendigo Art Gallery has become a mirror of its surrounding landscape through the building in which it resides and the permanent collections and exhibitions that are showcased. Definitely on the side of the new is the latest exhibition entitled, Maticevski: Dark Wonderland. As Bendigo has preserved its heritage and embraced the future, so too has the extraordinary fashion designer Toni Maticevski with the bounty of his creativity now on show for all to see. Fashion and the Bendigo Art Gallery have a…

BILLYKART WEST END PRACTICE MARC&CO LOCATION Brisbane, Australia PHOTOGRAPHY Scott Burrows Celebrity chef Ben O’Donoghue engaged Marc&Co to design his second restaurant, Billykart, situated in Brisbane’s West End precinct, where author David Malouf was born and grew up next door. Malouf is well-known for describing, in loving detail, the rooms, gardens and spaces under Brisbane houses. He portrays each house as having its own lore, a complex history of habits, memories and superstitions that shape the way we see things. Marc&Co was inspired by Malouf’s evocative descriptions and so the design of Billykart restaurant and bar was imagined as a mechanic’s backyard. The vision was of a place, located between other houses on stilts, where a mechanic would mend billy-carts, and at night, people would come to dine under fairy…

Whether inspired by Japanese gardens, tropical rainforests or the Australian bush, there has been a proliferation of greened interiors in commercial, residential and hospitality projects. Aesthetically, greenery enhances the overall space, while counterbalancing the increased use of technology, reducing air pollution, creating a balanced and highly oxygenated space, reducing workplace stress, and increasing performance and productivity. And meeting Green Star BCA requirements. “Simple, light and elegant” was the brief given to Mark Simpson, of DesignOffice, when the practice was commissioned to design the new premises for Little Bean Roasters in Shanghai. Having previously undertaken studies in Melbourne, the client wanted to integrate an Australian aesthetic, by “bringing green inside”. Working collaboratively with local architect, More Design Office, DesignOffice stripped back the 1990s industrial building, which was framed by exterior glass…