Design Awards 2014: best of the rest
Best bed
‘Bumper Bed’, by Marc Newson, for Domeau & Pérès
One of the lesser-known facts about Australian designer Marc Newson may be that until he conceived his playful ‘Bumper Bed’ in 1997, he slept on a mattress laid simply on the floor. Seventeen years on, the bed has finally been produced for the first time by design gallery and master crafts-maker Domeau & Pérès. Its wooden frame, into which a mattress is set, is filled with polyurethane foam, covered in buttery leather and encircled by a band in a matching shade or bright orange. ‘I thought it would give people like me the opportunity to transform their trusty mattress into a nice-looking bed,’ explains Newson. Each bed is made to size, signed and issued in a numbered edition, making it a true collectible.
Price on request, domeauperes.com. Now on display at the exhibition ‘Marc Newson: At Home’, Philadelphia Museum of Art, until 20 April 2014.
Photography: Victor Prado; Writer: Pei-Ru Keh
Best vanity unit
Sweet smell of success
Upping the ante in bedroom furniture this year is ‘Yang’, a striking seven-drawer chest made from solid walnut canaletto and topped with a leather tray and mirror set at the perfect pitch for grooming success. To that end, we’ve paired ‘Yang’ with our pick of perfumes for the year. In the men’s category is 1899, a fragrant tribute to Ernest Hemingway with notes of bergamot, juniper, iris from his beloved Mediterranean, and a sensual amber and vetiver base reminiscent of a waxed Cuban bar top. Marni’s entry to the world of scent impresses with a pleasingly unsugary rendition of rose topped with bergamot, pepper and ginger, tempered with patchouli, vetiver and cedar, all in the most covetable bottle around. Meanwhile, New York niche line Odin furnishes us with our favourite ungendered scent of the year, 11 Semma, a sensual blend of myrrh and sweet tobacco, interlaced with cinnamon, clove and tonka bean.
‘YANG’ Chest of drawers, £12,369, by Design MVW, for Giorgetti, from Mayfair Design Studio. Eau de Parfum, £48 for 30ml, by Marni. 1899, €145 for 120ml, by Histoires de Parfums. 11 Semma, $165 for 100ml, by Odin. Club Ebony Wood Brush, £139, by Taylor of Old Bond Street
Photography: John Short; Writer: Emma Moore
Best line work
Furniture phantasmagoria
We embrace the idea of furniture that redesigns space with black shapes and optical illusions. This is perfectly exemplified by Paul Smith’s hand-knotted Tibetan wool rug for The Rug Company, whose appearance changes with shifting points of view. Tokujin Yoshioka took the concept further with his table and chairs for Desalto – from one side, the elements look like simple flat lines, much like Arik Levy’s poetic chandeliers for Vibia: surreal compositions that play on geometry.
‘Umbra’ Rug, £795 per sq m, by Paul Smith, for The Rug Company. ‘Element’ Chairs, €1,581 each; Table, €7,163, both by Tokujin Yoshioka, for Desalto. ‘Wireflow’ pendants, price on request, by Arik Levy, for Vibia, from LSE Lighting
Photography: Michael Bodiam; Writer: Rosa Bertoli
Best showstopper
‘Lustre Gabriel’ chandelier, by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, for Swarovski
Newly installed in the entrance staircase of the Château de Versailles, the Bouroullec brothers’ showstopping ‘Lustre Gabriel’ chandelier is the first permanent contemporary piece to be installed in the palace. Brought to life by the crystal experts at Swarovski, the glittering installation is the winner of a competition launched in 2011, which asked entrants to design a permanent mobile artwork to adorn the palace’s Gabriel staircase. The Bouroullecs’ 12m-high composition is made up of three suspended crystal cords that majestically loop down into the space, creating an atmospheric glow. The piece uses 800 crystals in total, which are fixed to a steel skeleton structure embedded with LED light sources. While the design cleverly references the crystal chandeliers that were historically hung in the palace, the graphic, illuminated cords create a striking contrast with the ornate surroundings.
‘Lustre Gabriel’ chandelier, by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, for the Palace of Versailles, created by Swarovski. Dress by Dior Haute Couture
Photography: Jonathan de Villiers; Fashion: Grace Atkinson Writer: Ali Morris
Best reissue
‘Judd at Conran’ collection, with the Judd Foundation and Schellmann Furniture
The late US artist Donald Judd had a posthumous moment last year, with a surge in projects bearing his name. In New York’s SoHo, a new arm of the Judd Foundation opened in his former studio (W*171). Meanwhile, The Conran Shop became the first major retailer to sell his furniture designs. Motivated by the need to furnish his home in Marfa, Texas, in the 1970s, Judd’s foray into furniture was characterised by the same simplicity that typified his art, utilising materials such as raw pine, plywood, hardwood and sheet metal. The ‘Judd at Conran’ collection features five chairs, a library desk, a bed and this finely crafted standing desk. Made in collaboration with the Judd Foundation and Schellmann Furniture (W*145), the newly available desk is the ultimate altar piece for the Judd devotee.
Standing desk, £24,000, by Donald Judd, produced in collaboration with the Judd Foundation and Schellman Furniture, from the Conran Shop
Photography: John Short; Writer: Pei-Ru Keh
Best technique
‘Hôtel de la Lumière’ ring, by Boucheron
With its glacier-like qualities, rock crystal is both dense and delicate, making it tricky to craft. With the ‘Hôtel de la Lumière’ ring, the skills of the Boucheron workshops are rigorously tested during a complex process where a sphere is hollowed out of a shard of rock crystal then polished to transparency. The diamonds are mounted onto the crystal base without any use of metal framework (as is the usual technique for stone setting), like a fine-jewel version of a ship-in-a-bottle.
‘Hôtel de la Lumière’ Ring in rock crystal, diamonds and white gold, by Boucheron
Photography: Charles Negre; Watches & jewellery director: Caragh McKay
Best ride
Lift, by Gwenaël Nicolas, for Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton's new rotating glass and steel elevator beams up three floors through London's Selfridges department store. Masterminded by Tokyo-based architect Gwenaël Nicolas and outfitted with seamless oak marquetry, it makes 1.58 rotations a minute, giving 360-degree views of Louis Vuitton's fashion and accessories lines. Read more in our February issue.
Photography: Jan Lehner; Fashion: Nobuko Tannawa
Best new weave
Fresh twists on a classic craft
Ever curious about contemporary incarnations of traditional craft, we’re enjoying the current take on the basket weave aesthetic. Swedish designer Mathieu Gustafsson’s ‘Grand Light’ wardrobe, created with cabinet maker Niklas Karlsson for Grand, is divided into geometric rattan panels that play on the weave’s transparency to convey lightness. A more graphic interpretation is Nya Nordiska’s abstract braiding, printed on ‘Positano’ outdoor fabric. Meanwhile, Nendo’s glassware for Czech manufacturer Lasvit is composed of cut-and-paste pieces, juxtaposing several different patterns.
From top, ‘Grand light’ wardrobe, SEK75,000 (€8,301), by Mathieu Gustafsson and Niklas Karlsson, for Grand. Fabric, £52 per m, by Nya Nordiska. ‘Patchwork’ Vase, €9,577, by Nendo, for Lasvit, from Dilmos Milano
Photography: Gustav Almestål; Writer: Rosa Bertoli
Best room mates
Our favourite seating and floor plans
Jean-Marie Massaud’s impeccably upholstered ‘Grantorino’ modular sofa for Poltrona Frau takes its design cues from the saddlery industry. A slim armrest intricately upholstered in hand-cut leather sits at one end of the sofa, while a convenient, upholstered trunk fitted with an oak tray provides storage at the other. Paired with our ideal sofa are ‘Mews’ tiles by Italian porcelain brand Mutina and brilliant British design duo BarberOsgerby. Each tile is available in eight quintessentially London colours, including fog, pigeon, ink and soot (all made up of 15 different tones), in shapes that mimic the texture of brick and wood herringbone floors.
‘Grantorino’ Sofa, £5,380, by Jean-Marie Massaud, for Poltrona Frau. ‘Mews’ tiles, £209, per sq m, By BarberOsgerby, for Mutina
Photography: Michael Bodiam; Writer: Ali Morris
Best luxury car
Land Rover Range Rover LWB
From the outset, the fourth generation Range Rover was developed to take an extra few inches, transforming the back seat environment into the sort of rarefied space that was once the domain of Bentley and Rolls-Royce, while bolstering the 4x4’s unparalleled ability to squelch through any terrain with bespoke seating. From £105,840.
The garage: On the edge of Ashdown Forest in Sussex, this contemporary take on the vernacular timber garage is part of Smerin Architects’ bold new residential project, the Red Bridge House.
Photography; Greg White; Writer: Jonathan Bell
Best city car
BMW i3
BMW’s electric revolution has been a long time coming. Exploiting every technological trick in the book, from a lightweight carbon-fibre bodyshell to a flexible airy interior, thanks to the minimalist electric drivetrain, the i3 is the ultimate city car. The 100-mile plus range knocks anxiety on the head. From £25,680.
Photography; Greg White; Writer: Jonathan Bell
Best use of material
‘Jali’ bangles, by Bhagat
These diamond and platinum bangles by Mumbai fine jeweller Viren Bhagat are an interpretation of stone jali screens that courtesans would sit behind to view Mughal court proceedings. Precisely cut diamonds appear to float, but Bhagat counterbalances any prettiness by working the platinum as a stonemason would his base material: the metal is painstakingly filed by hand in one direction, from the centre to the outer rim, giving it an industrial, architectural feel. A ‘secret’ hinge allows the bangles to be opened. When closed, the platinum appears seamless, uninterrupted. a pattern of lotus buds has been worked into solid platinum. the process is repeated on two sides, so that When seen from eye level, the effect is of a jali stone screen.
Photography: Jignesh Jhaveri; Watches & jewellery director: Caragh McKay
Best denim
'Levi's RED' collection, by Levi's Red
The 18-piece collection by Levi's Red reinvents the five-pocket jean with loose-fit hemp and cotton garments lined in flannel and silk and adorned with round collars and pearl buttons. See more in our February issue.
He wears shirt coat, £400; jeans, £580. She wears shirt, £200; dungarees, £400, all by Levi's Red, from LN-CC
Photography: Hart+Lëshkina; Fashion: Nobuko Tannawa
Best DIY
Handy tools for the perfect pad
A smart set of DIY accoutrements are essential to keeping up appearances. As a starting point, Swiss studio Big-Game’s utilitarian ‘Cargo’ box for Alessi provides portable, streamlined storage for household tools such as its lightweight ‘Cargo’ hammer. For elevated working, the beautiful steam-bent rungs of Charlie Styrbjörn’s solid wood ladder are both functional and decorative, while the 3D aluminium design of Jehs + Laub’s ‘Entrance Digits’ for Authentics will ensure you make the right first impression.
Clockwise from top, ‘Cargo’ box, price on request, by Big-Game, for Alessi. Ladder, from £550, by Charlie Styrbjörn Nilson. ‘Entrance Digits’, €50, by Jehs + Laub, for Authentics, from Connox. ‘Cargo’ hammer, price on request, by Big-Game, for Alessi
Photography: Gustav Almestå; Writer: Ali Morris
Best fireside
This year’s hearth throbs
A utilitarian aesthetic makes us feel warm inside, so we were immediately drawn to this limited-edition stove by American artist Sterling Ruby. Inspired by his rural upbringing, the black-coated stainless steel stove pays homage to simple, get-it-done design. Similarly, Polish designer Jan Kochański’s dustpan and brush adds extra functionality, allowing dirt collected in the dustpan to flow through the handle and out into the bin. And, for their bright matchboxes designed for Danish company Hay, Shane Schneck and Clara von Zweigbergk used phosphorus ink (normally printed on a strip as a match-lighting track) to cover the boxes in different patterns, cleverly combining the ornamental with the useful.
‘Stove 3’, price on request, by Sterling Ruby, for Sterling Ruby Studio, from Galerie Pierre Marie Giraud. Matchboxes, £29, by Schneck Zweigbergk, for Hay, from Skandium. Dustpan and brush, €55, by Jan Kochański, for Menu
Photography: Benjamin Bouchet; Writer: Rosa Bertoli
Best bar snacks
Japanese nibbles to match your tipples
When it comes to mopping up alcohol, most cultures opt for salty, fried foods. And the Japanese are no exception. However, their snacking plates come with a dollop of finesse. Izakayas, the establishments that serve them, are not new, but this year there's been a wave of cross-cultural reinvention. Chez Sardine in New York is mixing it up with dishes such as beef tartare sushi topped with sea urchin. Flesh and Buns in London offers hirata buns with, among other fllings, fried sole with ginger, lemon mayo and pickled daikon. Barcelona's Dos Palillos won a Michelin star this year for a tapas menu that includes meat gyoza and onsen tamago. And Hong Kong's Yardbird has opened sister venue Ronin, where sansho-spiced quail and rock oysters with ponzu ice and wakame are washed down with a maple syrup Old Fashioned (12-year-old Yamazaki whisky with baked apple bitters). Getting sozzled has rarely been so savoury.
From left: Tsukemono pickles; miso pulled pork buns; takoyaki; crab, edamame and salmon eggs; spinach with black sesame sauce; teriyaki chicken shitake skewers; and whelks with yuzu and jalapeno
Photography: Kate Jackling; Lifestyle director: Emma Moore; Entertaining director: Melina Keays
Best pixelation
Digital design is causing a blur
United by their pixelated surfaces, these furnishing and fashion designs transform traditional patterns and crafts with digital design. Cristian Zuzunaga’s ‘Deep Grid’ rug, for UK manufacturer Brintons, enlarges antique-carpet motifs from the firm’s archive. Italian furnisher Emmemobili uses 2 sq cm slices of ten woods for its handmade ‘Seneca’ cabinet. And for S/S 2014, British fashion designer Neil Barrett borrows plaid patterns from 1990s lumberjack shirts, magnifies them, and weaves or prints them onto luxury fabrics, such as this silk jacket.
‘Deep grid’ Rug, from £699, by Cristian Zuzunaga, for Brintons. ‘Seneca’ Sideboard, from £16,200, by Ferruccio Laviani, for Emmemobili, from Chaplins. Jacket, £960, by Neil Barrett
Photography: Michiel Meewis; Writer: Ali Morris
Best window sill
Top tools for high-rise horticulturalists
Up in our city loft we don’t get to indulge in much horticulture, so we’re potty about this collection of gardening gizmos to brighten up our horizons. Swedish designer Monica Förster’s spun brass flower pots resemble traditional terracotta versions but with a modern twist. Plant your pots using Internoitaliano’s slick metal gardening tool set (rake, hoe and shovel), then keep them hydrated with Paul Loebach’s striking modernist watering can, available in copper or painted steel.
Flower pots, from €96, by Monica Förster, for Skultuna. ‘x3’ watering can, $60, by Paul Loebach, for Kontextur. ‘Orte’ tool set, €91, by Internoitaliano. Planting/succulents, by Hattie Fox, from That Flower Shop
Photography: John Short; Writer: Anne Soward
Best camping
Tent, by Christopher Raeburn, for Victorinox
This neon camo-printed festival kit, by Victorinox’s design director Christopher Raeburn, ensures you’ll never lose track of your tent or friends come Glastonbury season. The limited-edition ‘Festival Ready’ range includes a two-person tent, rain ponchos, rucksacks, that all-important Swiss Army knife and an app equipped with 3D navigation, a torch and a sound flare, proving that fashion and function can be happy bedfellows. The range, made from high-specification recycled nylon fabrics, safeguards an eco-conscious night’s sleep, whether you’re deep in the woods or a stone’s throw from the main stage.
‘Festival Ready’ tent, women’s capelet and men’s poncho, all by Victorinox
Photography: Hart+Lëshkina; Writer: Katrina Israel
Best wash
Kartell by Laufen collection
Put together two design giants – one, Laufen, a Swiss specialist in high-end sanitaryware, the other, Kartell, an Italian innovator in modern plastic furniture and accessories – and the scene is set for a whole new washing experience. Their concept bathroom collection, called simply Kartell by Laufen, launched earlier this year, designed by the talented Ludovica + Roberto Palomba. It combines all principle bathroom fittings – fine-edged washbasins, bathtubs, wall-hung toilets, bidets, showers in various sizes, all produced in sleek new material SaphirKeramik, with novel taps (which come with a ledge for resting soap, bottles or rings). Accessories such as stools, side tables, stackable units, shelves, mirrors and lighting come in Kartell’s signature translucent polycarbonates.
Basin, £434; tap, £624; vanity unit, £754; mirror, £543, all part of the Kartell by Laufen collection
Photography: John Short; Writer: Emma Moore
Best Wardrobe
‘Backstage’, by Antonio Citterio, for B&B Italia
Though its name implies a certain behind-the-scenes shyness, the ‘Backstage’ wardrobe system, designed by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia, is centre-stage material. Designed to interact with the bedroom rather than disappear into it, the system features doors that can also be configured as the access to an en suite, a hallway or any other room lurking on the other side of the bedroom. The doors, in three different widths (75cm, 87cm and 97cm), retract back into the wardrobe when you open them, so as not to protrude too much into the room. Of course, should you have enough space for a full-scale, walk-in wardrobe, the ‘Backstage’ does that, too – with a built-in, closed unit to store out-of-season clothing to boot. Along with structural and spatial intrigue, ‘Backstage’ comes dripping with obsessive details. The doors are crafted from sucupira wood (Brazilian chestnut) or lacquered with a shellac finish, with handles featuring leather or bronzed nickel inserts. Inside, luxurious leather shelves and trays sit atop bronzed-nickel-finished drawers.
'Backstage'; wardrobe system, as shown, £20,000, price depending on configuration, by Antonia Citterio, for B&B Italia
Photography: Gianluca Fontana; Writer: JJ Martin
Best shower
‘WaterDream’, by Front, for Axor Hansgrohe
When Swedish design trio Front was asked by bathroom brand Axor to create a shower that reimagines the bathroom space, the team looked behind the walls for inspiration. The result is ‘WaterDream’, a tangled maze of copper pipes, valves, couplings and funnels that join together to create a room-sized, three-headed shower installation. The prototype has led to a range of Axor products based on the simple funnel shape: a shower-pipe, a shower set, an overhead shower with ceiling or wall connection, and a hand shower. Axor and Front are continuing to develop the concept and more products are already in the pipeline.
'Waterdream' shower concept, by Front, for Axor Hansgrohe
Photography: Aimée Hoving; Writer: Ali Morris
Best building site
Taichung Metropolitan Opera House, Taiwan, by Toyo Ito
Toyo Ito's design for the Taichung Metropolitan Opera House in western Taiwan was so groundbreaking, it seemed almost impossible to build. Yet the fluid network of 'caves' is taking shape, thanks to innovative 3D modelling and input from car-racing engineers. The dynamic convex surfaces will deliver splendid acoustics and natural light, and thoughtful landscaping will create an organic link with the landscape. Learn more in our February issue.
Photography: Eric Gregory Powell
Best fashion future
Simone Rocha
Central Saint Martins graduate Simone Rocha may be the daughter of fashion designer John Rocha, but since founding her own label four years ago, she has danced to her own beat. Her spring collection’s sombre mood, inspired by the rugged Irish coastline, was a study in contrasts, playing with themes of purity and unruliness; see slashed, drop-waisted ruffle skirts, sealed with precious pearl finishes. Rocha is the epitome of a new generation of business-smart, London-based designers, picking up the British Fashion Council’s 2013 Emerging Womenswear Designer award for her efforts.
Dress, £825, by Simone Rocha, from Net-A-Porter
Photography: Anthony Friend; Fashion: Zoë Sinclair; Writer: Katrina Israel
Best folk
Crafty designers with contemporary angles
We don’t usually root for the folk aesthetic, but we’re smitten by a cluster of pieces that mesh modern technology with a crafty demeanour. Sebastian Herkner’s comfortable solid wood chair with a woven backrest manages to feel both traditionally handcrafted and modern at the same time, while BarberOsgerby’s handblown Murano glass lamp is perfect for stylish nomads, being cordless and solar-powered. And Simon Hasan’s unconventional marquetry, Stephen Burks’ recycled planters and Nanimarquina’s natural fibre rugs have us fervently campaigning for a folk revival.
From left to right, ‘Natural Earth’ rug in black, €2,100, by Nanimarquina, from Skandium. ‘Bell’ lamp, £1,990, by BarberOsgerby, for Louis Vuitton. ‘Dala’ planter, £305, by Stephen Burks, for Dedon. ‘Graft’ console, £6,250, by Simon Hasan, for Linley. ‘Unam’ lounge chair, €1,010, by Sebastian Herkner, for Very Wood
Photography: John Short; Writer: Anne Soward
Best musical bolt–hole
Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles
Ace Atelier’s latest edition, in LA’s fast evolving Downtown, inhabits the once famous United Artists premises and theatre, built in 1927. Aside from its 182 rooms, 16 suites, restaurant, performance space, screening room, and rooftop swimming pool and bar, it’s the hotel’s focus on music – an initiative of the group’s late founder Alex Calderwood – that will really satiate creative visitors. Selected suites boast their own Ace x Rega RP1 turntables and curated collection of vinyl records, while the pictured suite also features a Martin acoustic guitar and a ceiling spotlight, under which amateur or professional musicians can throw an intimate gig at a moment’s notice. Furniture is selected, conceived or commissioned by local outfit Commune Design, creating the perfect bolt-hole for long-term guests who might want to host their own visitors.
Suites: from $599. Read more about Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles
Photography: Joe Fletcher; Writer: Pei-Ru Keh
Best art experience
'Elevation 1049: Between Heaven and Hell', Gstaad
Winter's most off-piste exhibition takes place on the Gstaad slopes. 'Elevation 1049: Between Heaven and Hell' features site-specific installations by Swiss artists, as curated by New York's Neville Wakefield and his partner, the artist Olympia Scarry (pictured). Read and see more in our February issue.
Photography: Ari Marcopoulos
Best catwalk launch
Tod’s, by Alessandra Facchinetti
Alessandra Facchinetti’s debut, S/S 2014, ready-to-wear collection for Tod’s was a highlight of Milan Fashion Week. With Tod’s reputation for understated luxury clearly front of mind, the designer, an alumna of Valentino, Gucci and Moncler Gamme Rouge, produced a collection that was subtle but perfectly judged. Using fabulously crisp cotton poplin and paper-thin leathers in burnt brick and dusty rose, Facchinetti cut feminine clothes in clean lines that gave a modern kick to the trusted Tod’s aesthetic. She not only nailed the full-volume skirts and new takes on men’s shirting, but also showed an assured hand with the label’s accessories. Tod’s famous drivers were streamlined in a new, slimmer, flatter style, while the fringe-fronted sandals, flat boots and chic luggage are sure to set sales on fire.
Photography: Dima Hohlov; Fashion: Zoë Sinclair Writer: JJ Martin
Best chocolate
Our favourite squares, dark, milk and flavoured
Top of our dark chocolate list is Ecuador 75% by the Suffolk-based Pump Street Bakery, which imports its cocoa beans directly from co-operatives and small farms in the countries of origin, then roasts, grinds and conches them in very small batches. The resulting chocolate is exceptional: complex, almost savoury in its richness, and deeply satisfying. For milk chocolate, we turn to Masa, an artisanal bakery and café in Bogotá, headed up by sisters Silvana and Mariana Villegas. Their products are handmade, using the best, locally sourced ingredients. Número 4 is a sophisticated milk bar, reassuringly smooth, with luxurious caramel notes and a light sprinkling of sea salt. And when it comes to the best in flavoured squares, we can’t resist the refreshingly tangy green tea and yogurt bar by Pascal Beschle and Sara Hochuli, who have created an intriguingly coloured chocolate aimed at the new generation of style-savvy gourmets.
Best milk: Número 4 sal marina, COP16,000 ($8) for 85g, by masa
Best flavoured: Matcha, £4 for 50g, by pascal beschle and sara hochuli, from Fortnum & Mason
Best dark: Ecuador 75%, £5.80 for 75g, by pump street bakery
Photography: Kate Jackling; Entertaining director: Melina Keys
Best transparency
Clear winners take their place on the podium
From a hand-blown glass lamp with a twist to a blooming crystal vase, diaphanous designs are in the spotlight. Click next to take a closer look.
Photography: Michael Bodiam
Best transparency
‘Empatia’ lamp
The LED light at the base of this lamp shines up through a central rod, reflects off its opaque top and radiates out of the hand-blown glass dome.
£466, by Carlotta de Bevilacqua and Paola Monaco di Arianello, for Artemide
Best transparency
‘Cloud Boxes’
Instead of hiding away office clutter entirely, the semi-transparent latex skin of this unit (back left) transforms unsightly objects into blurred silhouettes of colour.
Price on request, by Studio Maarten Kolk & Guus Kusters, for ProoffLab
Best transparency
‘Haze’ table
This ethereal side table is made from cast plates of softly coloured resin, allowing the asymmetrical leg joints to show through the milky, translucent table top.
€4,850, by Wonmin Park, from Rossana Orlandi
Best transparency
‘Shibuya’ vase
Designed in plastic and named after the neon lights of Tokyo’s vibrant shopping district, this vase is one of a series that have interchangeable bases and lids in translucent bands of colour.
£87, by Christophe Pillet, for Kartell
Best transparency
‘Deep-Sea’ table
Crafted with precision, the dividing panels of this unit are made of glass tinted with coloured film and spaced at increasingly narrow intervals to create a gradient of deepening colour.
€2,631, by Nendo, for Glas Italia
Best transparency
‘Fiorente’ vase
This centrepiece is expertly composed of nine precisely cut, lead-free crystal vessels that are stacked and fused together to form a colourful plant structure. Limited edition of 50.
£8,919, by Studio IRDS, for Moser
Best lounger
'Orson' sunlounger, by Gordon Guillaumier, for Roda
Forming part of the ‘Orson’ garden furniture collection, Gordon Guillaumier’s sunlounger is an exercise in ergonomics and clean lines. Created for Italian outdoor furniture manufacturer Roda, it’s made from slightly curved teak boards mounted on a sturdy four-legged structure. The simple sophistication of the piece is enhanced by a metamorphic twist: when the reclining headrest is laid flat it looks just like an unassuming bench.
'Orson' sunlounger, €1,640, by Gordon Guillaumier, for Roda
Photography: Christoffer Rudquist; Writer: Rosa Bertoli
Best Future Vision
Her, directed by Spike Jonze
Set in LA and shot in Shanghai, 'Her' illustrates a bespoke utopia that takes cues from Wallpaper* in a palette evoking a branch of Jamba Juice. In a genre of its own, best described as a 'Spike Jonze love story', the film portrays a vision of the future that's bright, yet disturbingly vulnerable.
Pictured: Theodore Twombly, played by Joaquin Phoenix, in his high-waisters of the future
Best finishing line
Zielturm Rotsee, Switzerland, by Andreas Fuhrimann Gabrielle Hächler Architekten
During the annual regatta on Lake Rotsee, north of Lucerne, the Zielturm Rotsee (or Finish Tower) houses the jury, press and regatta committee who marshal, time and observe the race. For the other 11 months, this 'tectonic' design, realised in sustainable pine and hoisted on pillars, is a sculpture that blends into the Swiss landscape.
Photography: Joël Tettamanti