There’s much A/D/O about design at Mini’s creative space in New York
The Mini, one of the most enduring designs of the automotive age, was created in 1959 by the British Motor Corporation’s secret research team, staidly named the Amalgamated Drawing Office. Nearly 60 years later, the Mini marque (now owned by BMW) is expanding its horizons beyond just vehicle manufacturing as it sets its sights on the ‘slash generation’ (ie, multi-skilled Millennials) with a completely new venture in New York. A/D/O is a creative space/design academy/retail zone/café, bar and restaurant dedicated to exploring new boundaries in design.
‘We believe designers can tip the scales towards a more humane world,’ says Esther Bahne, head of brand strategy and business innovation at Mini. ‘The first Mini was an iconic design with strong emotional appeal and an answer to the fuel shortage of the time. This is what inspires us at Mini today, as we aim to develop products and services that are truly relevant to people. A/D/O was founded in this spirit.’
The former factory's mural-laden exterior
Brooklyn-based nArchitects has converted a former warehouse in Greenpoint into a creative hub for both the local and international design community. Intervention has been kept to a minimum. Distinctive original elements of the single-storey building have been preserved – fragments of the murals on the facade are now rearranged into what the architects call ‘reconstituted graffiti’.
Inside, the brickwork, exposed beams and other original features have been kept in place. Large, street-facing windows have been installed to allow in daylight and to blur the boundaries between public and private space. A signature new structure, the ‘Periscope’, a 16-ft-high prism-shaped skylight made by local Caliper Studio, features mirrored surfaces that reflect the cityscapes in both Brooklyn and Manhattan.
The 23,000 sq ft space has been fitted out for different functions. The Workspace is a studio and fabrication lab for A/D/O members to enjoy for a fee, while the 5,000 sq ft open space allows public access, to encourage conversation between creatives. At the main entrance, a shop presents a unique assortment of designs from throughout the world, and Norman, a morning-to-evening food concept by Swedish chef Fredrik Berselius (of Brooklyn's Aska) and Claus Meyer (co-founder of Noma in Copenhagen).
‘Utopia vs Dystopia: Designing Our Imagined Futures’ features Bauhaus-inspired costumes designed by Mary Ping of fashion label Slow and Steady Wins the Race
The driving force behind the new venture is the Design Academy, which offers thought-provoking programmes for professional designers. The inaugural season began this week with ‘Utopia vs Dystopia: Designing Our Imagined Futures’. The three-day festival will discuss topics such as major cultural disruptions, artificial intelligence, automation and new production technologies.
‘What's unusual about A/D/O is that it operates like a museum or a non-profit: it has a mission. The question was, how could we encapsulate that mission from day one,’ says A/D/O design director Daniel Pittman. 'For example, one question that is being asked in the design community now – and you see the same in Europe – is, what is the of role design within the political and election sphere? Do designers have a responsibility to better frame public discourse on politics? How do we create impacts to ensure a better future?’
To find the answers, Mini also partnered with venture fund SOSV to create Urban-X, a start-up accelerator for designer entrepreneurs, which aims to shape the future of our world through innovation and technology.
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the A/D/O website
ADDRESS
29 Norman Avenue
Greenpoint
Brooklyn NY 11222
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Yoko Choy is the China editor at Wallpaper* magazine, where she has contributed for over a decade. Her work has also been featured in numerous Chinese and international publications. As a creative and communications consultant, Yoko has worked with renowned institutions such as Art Basel and Beijing Design Week, as well as brands such as Hermès and Assouline. With dual bases in Hong Kong and Amsterdam, Yoko is an active participant in design awards judging panels and conferences, where she shares her mission of promoting cross-cultural exchange and translating insights from both the Eastern and Western worlds into a common creative language. Yoko is currently working on several exciting projects, including a sustainable lifestyle concept and a book on Chinese contemporary design.
-
Stephen Friedman Gallery by David Kohn is infused with subtly playful elegance
Stephen Friedman Gallery gets a new home by David Kohn in London, filled with elegant details and colourful accents
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Time & Style opens two new Milan locations and unveils new projects during Salone del Mobile
Japanese furniture company Time & Style opens two new showrooms while presenting new pieces at Milan Design Week 2024
By Danielle Demetriou Published
-
Pininfarina Battista Reversario is a new one-off electric hypercar
The all-electric Pininfarina Battista Reversario is joining its aesthetic inverse in an ultra-select car collector’s garage. We take a look at a car built to a very precise order
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Taxi cabs and pizza boxes: New York icons are reimagined by Paa Joe at Superhouse Gallery
New York’s beloved tokens, from the Statue of Liberty to the classic yellow taxi cab, are reimagined by Paa Joe for Superhouse's inaugural show in New York, ‘Celestial City’
By Julie Baumgardner Published
-
The Future Perfect group show in LA pays homage to JB Blunk’s sculptures
The Future Perfect celebrates late sculptor JB Blunk’s process and aesthetic with the group exhibition ‘Inner Space’ (until 1 May 2024)
By Julie Baumgardner Published
-
Bauhaus master Anni Albers’ groundbreaking collection on view at the Blanton Museum
‘Anni Albers: In Thread and On Paper’ at the Blanton Museum of Art in Ausin, Texas, highlights her shift from weaving to printmaking through works from the last 40 years of her career
By Lauren Jones Published
-
Gallery Fumi makes LA debut with works from Max Lamb, Jeremy Anderson and more
Fumi LA is the London design gallery’s takeover of Sized Studio, marking its first major US show (until 9 March 2024)
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Bathhouse Flatiron features atmospheric interiors by Rockwell Group
In NYC, Bathhouse Flatiron evokes the 'futuristic remnants of an ancient civilisation'
By Dan Howarth Published
-
Bay Area exhibition spotlights San Francisco furniture design community
Bay Area furniture design is the subject of ‘Works in Progress’, an exhibition on view at the American Industrial Center in San Francisco’s Dogpatch district until 23 January 2024
By Shonquis Moreno Published
-
Brooklyn’s Nine Chapel unveils interiors by Gubi
Designed by SO-IL, Nine Chapel in Brooklyn is a new residential tower with a model residence by Danish design brand Gubi
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
The Malin Wedgewood Houston offers a rich, earthy co-working environment
The Malin Wedgewood Houston co-working space opens in Nashville, Tennessee and becomes the fourth and largest location in a thriving portfolio
By Tianna Williams Published