1. Its art-world inspiration. Sonneman found a muse in the Dutch De Stijl art and design movement, particularly for the red, yellow, black, and blue color option. “The offset squares and rectangles of Quattro’s head, arm, and base immediately called to mind Gerrit Rietveld's 1917 black painted chair which glorified the pure rectilinear forms with edges painted in primary red and yellow,” Sonneman says. “The approach typified the Dutch De Stijl movement in the three dimensional architecture and in the two dimensional art of Mondrian.” It’s also available in black, white, and aluminum finishes.

2. It’s flexible. Anchored by a solid square base, Quattro features internal compression and tension mechanics that allow you to position its arms and head in a surprising number of positions. (Trust us, we tried just about every pose on the shoot.) “The functionality of being able to poise and direct light where you want is a better solution than requiring the user to bend or contort to find adequate illumination from a fixed position,” Sonneman explains.

3. It dims. It’s still pretty rare to see an LED light that dims. But it’s even more rare to see one that dims well. Controlled from a touchless optical sensor on its head, the light produces three light levels: high, medium, and low. It’s mood lighting—for the office.

4. It’s glare free. There’s a lot to love about LED lights, from their long life to their low energy consumption. But glare and hot spot? Not so much. Sonneman had those common complaints in mind when he designed Quattro. The light features flat panel technology that reduces glare by redirecting the LEDs’ horizontal illumination downwards. “The result is an evenly illuminated panel that throws off little or no side screen glare but rather redirects the reflected luminous energy through a flat panel,” Sonneman says. Your eyes will thank him.

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There’s been a grand opening, and more than six million visitors have visited, but the 9/11 Memorial site in lower Manhattan is still very much a work in progress. Landscape architect Peter Walker, co-designer of the project, estimates that after 10 years on the job, his vision is only halfway realized. More acres of the plaza need to be built and that can’t happen until the underground museum and train station are finished, as well as the surrounding streets.

Despite being unfinished, the memorial is open, and people have been coming from all over the world to pay their respects. Crowds are hustled through the maze-like barriers of this construction site before reaching its heart: the solemn memorial of two meaningful voids in the ground. Eventually, though, the experience will be completely different.

The finished product will be a memorial plus an open public space. Eight carefully planned acres that will ultimately be a contemplative and restful place, transformed by a lush forest of more than 400 swamp white oak trees. It will be one of the most sustainable plazas ever constructed. This part of the project will conclude years from now, quietly and without as much pomp and fanfare. But for generations to come, this park will ultimately be an important and reverent part of the experience.

Saundra Marcel: How did you become involved in the 9/11 Memorial project?
Peter Walker: We were called by architect Michael Arad when he was one of the eight semifinalists in the design competition. The jury liked the concept of the sunken spaces representing the missing buildings, but he had the whole eight acres in stone. That was too harsh. Our job was to make a park compatible with the voids. It would get the mood of the memorial, but operate as an open public space.

SM: The jury’s mandate was to humanize the site. Your assignment was to take this harsh concept, and without disturbing the idea, transform it to be softer and more alive. What parts of this task were the most challenging?
PW: Normally, you have an experienced architect with an experienced landscape architect, so they know what each person does and so forth. But Michael had never built anything before. I mean, he had never even done a set of working drawings. So it took a while to get our teams working in a way that we could accomplish the various ends. There were a lot of challenges in the first years. It took a lot of hard work to get all that pulled together.

SM: The landscape around the memorial is such a huge part of the experience, but in its own way, it’s minimal. What led you to this approach?
PW: One has to take the memorial function and the park function as two separate activities. People who go to see the memorial will experience the park, but not in the same way as people living and working around it. So we had to analyze which park functions should be accommodated, and which would be detrimental to the sense of dignity and honor of the memorial. We already had the rejection on the big stone plaza idea. We knew we had to introduce plant materials and softening on the ground. But we had to keep the plaza flat. The flatness is so important. When you come across a flat surface, and then suddenly these great holes cuts down, this contrast gives it power. For me, that was an interesting artistic challenge.

SM: What are your favorite details?
PW: If you look from the north or the south into the memorial, you will see the trees as woods, very soft, almost random. You have to turn 90 degrees to see them as colonnades. They change as you move through. It’s like an Escher drawing, a trick of playing back and forth between soft and hard. It’s very simple, but not so simple that it’s not interesting. If it gets too interesting—like if you have swings and slides—it would be great for a park, but it wouldn’t be great for people coming to a memorial.

SM: With such a high-profile and emotionally charged project, there was plenty of criticism levied from various parties. Was there any controversy over your landscape design?
PW: We didn’t have controversy over anything conceptual. Where we had trouble is where people differed in the details. One person liked one kind of bench, another person liked another kind. One person liked a lot of trees. Somebody else liked less. Security was a real problem. How do you keep a place open and also secure? We spent almost two years on the security issue. On the whole, we’ve won those battles, though. I don’t mean to sound bitter. It just took a long time.

SM: And how has the public received it so far?
PW: That’s right—the public. You have to decide whose interests you’re serving. Existentially, it’s the families who became the client, not that they speak with one voice. When we started this, they were hurting. We felt we had to satisfy their feelings, which were the strongest of all and the most immediate. I was worried all the way along that we would not be able to, and that would have been a real failure. At the opening, I was getting praise from some of the most active representatives of the families—and I was flying high. 

Renderings by Squared Lab Design; Photos by Alan Ward; all courtesy of PWP Landscape Architecture

As the memorial required an innovative sustainable pavement system, Peter Walker and Partners called upon long-trusted paving consultant Mark Smallridge & Associates to help engineer and execute the intended design. “This included consideration of the material properties, the anticipated loading of the plaza, drainage provisions, and the environmental conditions,” says Mark Smallridge. “A complete solution was developed so that it could meet the unique conditions of the pavement substrate while meeting Peter Walker and Partners’ particular vision.”

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From the Heritage Gallery:

The Soviet Empire Style was marked by luxury and monumentality, combining elements of the Baroque, Napoleon Empire, neo-classical, and Art Deco. This state-sanctioned style replaced the avant-garde as the Soviet Union's main aesthetic concept. It symbolized a return to classical notions of beauty, and became the hallmark of a powerful rising Soviet empire. However, this luxurious and grand aeshetic ended in the second half of the 1950s. With such political oblivion and the changes in tastes over the past 60 years, many interior items from the Stalinist period were thrown away and lost. Few items have been preserved, which makes this exhibition even more special. At Design Miami/Basel, Heritage Gallery will present unique decorative objects, lamps, and exquisite furniture. Most were single-copy items, made at great cost for the private apartments of the political elite, as well as for public spaces such as the Hotel Moskva, and the Red Army Theater in Moscow.

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Ever give much thought to the ubiquitous "handicapped" logo used throughout the country. It was created by a Swedish graphic design student in 1968, and many efforts have been made over the years to update the icon with a more active design. Now Brian Glenney, an assistant professor of philosophy at Gordon College, has scored a big win leading the charge to put a design by Sara Hendren, a graduate student in design studies at Harvard, into the public. Read about New York City showing love for the new logo at The Chronicle. We're sure architect and industrial designer Michael Graves would approve.

The ubiquitous logo designed by a Swedish student in 1968

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Collage artist Borbay’s work combines texture, words, and colors to create “portraits” of celebrities, including Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, and Kanye West. The artist, who was named by Time Out as one of New York’s most creative, doesn’t have an agent or a PR person. Instead, he follows the Warhol mantra: Good business is the best art.

“When you go to art school, your professors teach you to shoot slides, send them to hundreds of galleries, and hold your breath,” says Borbay. “Instead, I create, promote, exhibit, and sell my work personally. In the beginning, it was an uphill battle. Now it’s a major plus for my collectors.” Although being his own business manager and marketing team must add another level of stress to his already high-profile career, there is an upside to it; not having gallery representation means an artist is not subjected to high commissions, up to as much as 50 percent of the sale price.

But the associated lack of publicity can often impact an artist’s chances of being selected for representation at a higher level. “Without gallery  representation, you are completely and utterly off the museum radar,” he says. Though Borbay thinks change will happen soon. “My theory? As the independent artist model grows and becomes more prevalent, so too will the curators expand their radar. At some point, I look forward to a meeting of the minds, and finding a museum wall my way.”

Hunter S Depp

Detective Morgan Somerset

Dr Bill Venkman

Guggenheim 4

Borbay’s own logo

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Meritalia’s Carletto, Carletta chair and ottoman by designer Tobia Scarpa

Mertitali’s Cubo chair by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni

Raw Edges‘ Selvedge chair for Moroso.

A trio of Ron Arad products for Moroso, the 3 Nuns stool (above), the Glider sofa, and the Z-Shelf (two below) 

Sebastian Herkner‘s Coat line for Moroso (above and below)

Four pieces from the Successful Living from Diesel with Moroso line: Gimme Shelter (top) and (from below) Shortwave, Gimme Shelter sofa, and Longwave

Werner Aisslinger‘s Bikini Island line for Moroso (above and below)

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For centuries, churches were the epitome of high design, yet somewhere along the way, their design began to elicit more yawns than hallelujahs. Architects John Sparano and Anne Mooney of Sparano + Mooney Architecture stage a design revival in their vibrant and modern look for St. Joseph The Worker Catholic Church in West Jordan, Utah.

DB: The inside looks more stylish than a traditional church people may be used to seeing—did the parish have a clear direction they wanted for the design?
Anne Mooney: The client came to the project with no preconceived ideas of what they wanted. Our approach to the design of sacred space is one where the architecture seeks to reinforce the teachings of the denomination through its forms and gestures. The client’s beliefs are the constant; the architecture that expresses them is the variable. 

DB: So how did this particular parish influence the materials you used?
John Sparano: The materials emerged from our translation of ideas embodied in the patron saint of the parish, Saint Joseph the Worker, into the  architecture. He is believed to have been a carpenter and has evolved into the patron saint of workers, craftsmen, and laborers. The board-formed concrete drum of the sanctuary, flat seam copper panels of the day chapel and lantern, as well as the western red cedar of the parish office and gathering space were all material choices made with the idea that the materials should embody a lasting impression of the hand of the craftsman.

DB: Tell us about the circular design—is it symbolic of anything?
JS: Through the design process for the sanctuary it became clear that a rounded form provided the ideal shape for gathering. The form also has a rich historical precedent in sacred architecture, from the Pantheon to the Tempietto in Rome.

DB: What was the response from the community—anyone saying this is too stylish for a church?
AM: We attended the Salt Lake City St. Patrick’s Day parade last year and were surprised to see that the Saint Joseph the Worker Parish had built a trailer-mounted, scale model float of their new church. Children from the parish were sitting and standing all over it as it passed, laughing and throwing candy to the crowds. We were left to wonder if this might not be the new gold standard for measuring the success of any church project: Do the users feel their new building is worthy of a float?

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For a while there, Chicago had its own hidden treasure in Martyn George, the vintage kitchenware store curated by food and prop stylist Johanna Lowe. Not that we'd talk anyone out of making a special trip to visit the bricks-and-mortar store (pictured), but now design lovers can shop its inventory in a new online shop with nice crisp photography displaying the one-of-a-kind vintage wares. Shop on! 

Food and prop stylist Johanna Lowe

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"It’s like angels fell out of the sky with money,” says Ghislaine Viñas, interior designer of this lower Manhattan penthouse apartment.

Together with architect David Hotson, the design duo transformed 6,000 feet of diamond-in-the-rough top-floor commercial office space into a four-level wacky and whimsical dream home for one very imaginative couple. And while they can’t reveal who the owners are, they also can’t stop talking about them. “They’re different, obviously,” Hotson says. “They’re risk-takers, and they’re involved. You know, having a great space to start with, breathtaking views, and a dream budget; that’s all wonderful. But having a client who’s engaged all the way through, that’s the prize.”

The standout feature of the apartment is the 80-foot-long slide, a helical option for transportation commencing at the top level and dumping out at the bottom near the entryway. For those looking for a more challenging ascent, there’s also the option to rock-climb your way up to the top—a staggering 45 feet. Neither is a very “skirt friendly” option, but nor is the more normal means of getting from floor to floor: a stairway made with disorienting glass views through to below. The whole place is filled with these kinds of creative concepts. Like the nest: a brightly colored floral marshmallow of a squishy-floored space perched high above the living area, perfect for snuggling or just sinking in.

There are four bedrooms, plus a secret mid-floor sleeping space accessible by an in-wall ladder. The majestic master features a fire hydrant-crowned headboard and matching silver metallic fire hydrant wallpaper. In the shower is a window allowing for the user to partake in a little inter-apartment exhibitionism, but with the press of a button, it immediately fogs over for privacy. In a different shower, a tiny peephole frames a view of the faraway Chrysler Building.

It’s now a far cry from the awkward and empty guts that existed here before the project started. “It was the kind of space that people looked at and thought, ‘What on earth do we do with this ?,’” says Viñas of the pre-renovated apartment. Adds Hotson, “From what I’ve heard, a lot of potential buyers came through and were just completely intimidated by the scope and scale of what had to be done. Whereas my reaction was the same as Ghislaine’s. This is one of the most astonishing properties I have ever seen. The views are incredible, the historical character of the building is amazing, as was the opportunity to work in really dramatic, complex dimensions of architectural space that you don’t usually get in New York.”

It was the first collaborative project for Viñas and Hotson, one that spanned four years and was not without its challenges. But where their creative ideas differed, the client’s desires united them. “You can’t impose stuff like this on a client. They wanted it. The slide, for example, was her [the client’s] idea, and she defended it every step of the way,” says Hotson. It’s a grown-up playground, certainly a dream home for any kid. Although, surprisingly, none live here. Just a young-at-heart couple with a sense of humor and joie de vivre.

Check out a video tour of this one-of-a-kind penthouse directed by Jonathan Robinson here.

“Hotson Architects did an excellent job of coordinating all the various subcontractors, and through systematic review of each other’s plans, mock-ups, and testing we successfully integrated everything,” recalls Jeff Tarr, president of Tarr Technology Consulting in New York City. As the audiovisual consultant for this Manhattan penthouse, the boutique residential technology integration company strove to combine the latest technology with reliability and ease of use. “We love working with technology because it is always changing,” he adds.

Designed by New York City-based manufacturer Skyline Windows, the curved windows of this penthouse offer stunning views of lower Manhattan. Skyline project manager Robert Marino collaborated with the architect to design the custom windows. “We were able to exceed their expectations with narrow sightlines and window performance,” says Marino.

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Spanning two floors, the exhibition investigates the physical and psychological dimensions of the hotel using four main themes: Travel, Design, Social, and Culture. The Design section features 10 models of game-changing moments in the architecture and design of hotels, including Arne Jacobsen's SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen. No stranger to game-changing hotel design, Ace Hotels curates the gift shop at the exhibition. Signature pieces, from T-shirts and hoodies to wallets and neckties, were designed exclusively for this exhibit by Atelier Ace and friends.

The loby at the Ace Hotel Portland

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Click here to view the embedded video.

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Montreal Meets attendees will be given the opportunity to learn from the most influential names in our design community, including visual artist, designer, and speaker James White; hand-lettering and custom typography designer Dana Tanamachi; co-founder and chief designer of Behance Matias Corea; and art director, designer, and co-founder of Ars Thanea Peter Jaworowski, just to name a few. Covering everything from 3-D printing, graphic design, illustration, and typography to UI design photography and motion, the conference promises to leave attendees connected and inspired. 

Register for tickets online here.

Behance co-founder and chief designer Matias Corea

Designer Peter Jaworowki and his work

Dana Tanamachi and her typography work

James White and his visual art work

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Graduate students of the SVA MFA in Design Criticism program will be paired with prominent keynote speakers in their field, including Andrew Blauvelt , curator of Architecture and Design and chief of communications and audience engagement at the Walker Art Center; Fiona Raby , experimental designer and partner in the British design partnership Dunne & Raby; Mark Foster Gage , architect and Yale School of Architecture assistant dean; Toni Griffin , director of the J. Max Bond Center for Architecture at the Spitzer School of Architecture at the City College of New York; and Michael Sorkin, architect, critic, and director of the Graduate Urban Design Program at the City College of New York. Topics to be addressed include the problems inherent in exhibiting graphic design, the persistence of segregation in urban planning, and why there is a resurgence of the literal in contemporary architecture practice. 

The event is free and open to the public. Register at dcrit.eventbrite.com.

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Watermark

Watermark Designs’ new line of faucet handles truly rocks. The handles are crafted from stones handpicked from the shores of the Great Lakes in Michigan and attached using rare earth magnets. Watermark Designs’ new Chelsea faucet by Hastings Studio will also be on display. Watermark Designs, Booth #2321

ThermaSol

Get your schvitz on in ThermaSol’s hot, new steam shower systems. We can’t wait to test the company’s new Solitude Mobile App, which controls steam shower systems via iPhones, iPads and other wireless devices. ThermaSol, Booth #2514

THG-Paris

Add some oh-la-la-luxury to your bathroom with THG-Paris’s new collections. The French atelier for high-end bath faucets and accessories will introduce three new collections done in collaboration with Baccarat and Christofle. Be sure to check out its gorgeous Perle by Lalique collection and colorful DAUM series, too. THG-Paris, Booth #1948

On Watermark Designs’ new line of faucets, the handles are crafted from stones handpicked from the shores of the Great Lakes in Michigan

 Watermark’s Brooklyn fixture has an industrial feel that reminds us of the borough it is named after 

Get steamy via your smart phone. The new ThermaSol steam shower system can be turned on from anywhere via mobile app

Just feeling like you need something luxe in your life? Stop by THG-Paris’ booth for a look at their latest collab with Baccarat, the Petale de Cristal line of bath and shower fittings

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