From her north London home, architect Amanda Levete discusses Design Awards winners Lisbon, Jasper Morrison and more...
‘After London, Lisbon is my favourite city in the world,’ says British architect Amanda Levete. She has played a big part in ensuring Lisbon is crowned this year’s Best City. In October, her Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology opened on the banks of the Tagus river, an elegantly curvaceous 38,000 sq m addition to the city’s waterfront.
Look closely and there’s a bit of Lisbon in her living room, with subtle details such as a fireplace that appears like a slit along one wall. It’s a reference to the artist Lucio Fontana, but it’s hard not to see how its curvy form is echoed in her latest building.
‘Bankside’ seating range, by Designer of the Year winner Jasper Morrison, for B&B Italia
For Designer of the Year, Levete selected Jasper Morrison. ‘His work is about celebrating the everyday, not grandiose gestures. Every move, every connection, is so thoughtful,’ she says. ‘Everything he designs functions beautifully… Jasper doesn’t know the meaning of “overdesign”.’
This year will see the realisation of one of Levete’s dream projects: a new entrance, courtyard and underground gallery at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. ‘I’ve dreamt of working on a major public and cultural project ever since I started as an architect, and it doesn’t get much better than this,’ she says.
As originally featured in the February 2017 issue of Wallpaper* (W*215)
Levete in her home, with Jasper Morrison’s ‘Bankside’ sofa, left, and ‘Pon’ tables.
INFORMATION
See the shortlist and the winners of Design Awards 2017 in full here, including our extra-special Judges’ Awards
-
More design in Miami: things to see in town this weekendFrom Design District installations to the new disruptive design fair, highlights for design around the city
-
Alex Israel uses BMW technology for AI-powered video installation
Alex Israel’s 'REMEMBR' at Art Basel Miami Beach 2023 uses AI technology to curate and choreograph a visitor’s phone camera content into a video installation across seven screens
-
Chanel drafts Peter Saville to design record sleeve for its blockbuster Manchester show
Chanel’s Métiers d’art show invitation came encased in a record sleeve by Peter Saville, heralding a blockbuster show that paid ode to his home city of Manchester’s cultural might
-
Residenza Cappellini combines bold colour and Italian design in Manhattan
Frenchcalifornia and Giulio Cappellini present Residenza Cappellini, adding Italian interior flair to the Manhattan skyline
-
When Jasper Morrison met Giulio Cappellini
Jasper Morrison looks back on his collaboration with design visionary Giulio Cappellini, Guest Editor of the Wallpaper* October 2023 issue
-
Jasper Morrison explores infinite possibilities of bamboo in London exhibition
London Design Festival 2023: Jasper Morrison collaborates with Japan Creative to showcase the versatility of bamboo
-
Jasper Morrison’s portable barbecue is inspired by Portuguese cooking pots
This portable barbecue is made of galvanised steel and available exclusively from the Jasper Morrison London shop
-
Master minimalist Jasper Morrison pulls up a chair to the Design Awards 2018 judging panel
-
Heavenly staircases, chocolate faucets and more in our Design Awards 2018 issue
-
Wallpaper* Power 200: the world’s top design names and influencers
It’s back with a double helping of provocation and praise. We have plumped up this year’s Power List to a meaty two-ton’s worth of carefully measured rankings, an upscaled calibration of design achievement. As we strongly suspected, last year’s Power 100 caused a considerable stir and provoked strong words. And, as last month’s editor’s letter made clear, even alarming threats of revenge and recrimination. So this year, unchastened, we thought we would do it all again, but double the dose. To mark our 200th issue, the power 100 has become 200. Or rather 100+100 (normal disservice will be resumed next year). And, in a self-congratulatory nod to our keen eye for talent and perhaps the propulsive effect we have had on nascent design careers, we have trawled the Wallpaper* archives, retraced our expert truffling and recovered the debut appearances of future Power Listers. (Look out for long-lost hair, unlined faces and eyes undimmed).
