designEX Blog

ARCHITECTURE // Denton Corker Marshall awarded Venice Pavilion

designEX congratulates Melbourne-based Denton Corker Marshall (DCM) on their appointment by the Australia Council for the Arts as the architects for the new Australian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Selected from six shortlisted submissions, the DCM proposal will replace a temporary structure created by eminent architect Philip Cox in 1988.

AIA president and member of the selection committee Brian Zulaikha says of the appointment ‘DCM’s building is a striking, perhaps timeless addition to the Giardini. Handsome and sculpturally bold, its skillful simplicity creates an inspiring and limitless space for artists and audiences’

The DCM design uses an elegant black box made from South Australian granite, that in turn houses a white box to form a simplistic background to showcase exhibitions at the art and architecture biennales which alternates each year.

The new permanent pavilion is due for completion in 2013, with Australia being one of 29 countries to retain permanent national presence.

Take a virtual look at the new pavilion :

dentoncorkermarshall.com // venicebiennale.australiacouncil.gov.au

Canal View

Main Entry

IMAGE credits – Images © Denton Corker Marshall

by Anne-Maree Sargeant  // The Snap Assembly blog // AMS-info

ARCHITECTURE // Make-Space for Architecture, Sunday April 15

Make-Space for Architecture is an independent collective promoting the agency of architecture in Sydney – that strives to nurture and promote critical practice in the industry, campaign with decision makers and inform and mobilise the community in order to effect positive change.

Join Make-Space in the gallery on Sunday afternoon for a film screening of The Bank Job (2008) as a part of the ‘Breaking Out and Breaking In’ distributed film festival.

The festival is disbursed around the world and sponsored by BLDGBLOG, Filmmaker Magazine and Studio-X NYC.  The organizers explain, “Breaking Out and Breaking In is an exploration of the use and misuse of space in prison escapes and bank heists, where architecture is the obstacle between you and what you are looking for”

Make-Space for Architecture’s Distributed Film Festival:

The Bank Job - Sunday 15 April, 5pm // Inception - Friday, 20th April 47 George St, The Rocks, Sydney

RSVP to makespace4arch@gmail.com // therockspopup.tumblr.com

Follow on Facebook // facebook.com/MakeSpace4Arch //

To See full event program head to // ms4a.org

Images courtesy of Make-Space for Architecture

by Anne-Maree Sargeant  // The Snap Assembly blog // AMS-info

ARCHITECTURE // Renato D’Ettorre Architects

Azuris by Renato D’Ettorre Architects. Image: Francesca Giovanelli

The Renato D’Ettorre Architects’ designed Azuris residence has received both a Regional Commendation and the J.W Wilson Award for Building of the Year in the Queensland State Awards. A series of connecting pavilions are positioned to harness views across the Coral Sea, with the material palette allowing the building to integrate with its surrounding bushlands.

“Azuris embodies a tropical ethos utilising heavy materials to frame spectacular views and to cocoon living and sleeping spaces interspersed by courtyards. The project unites modernist spatial principles with exceptional craftsmanship,” the jury noted.

The firm previously awarded the 2011 Central Queensland Regional Architecture Awards top residential prize House of the Year to Solis, which also scored the prestigious AIA Robin Dods Award for Residential Architecture for the project as well as the AIA 2011 National Residential Award for Residential Architecture.

As with Azuris, Solis overlooks the Coral Sea and faces the open waters on Queensland’s Hamilton Island.  The sculptured concrete, stone and glass home opens the vast open plan indoor / outdoor living areas to integrate with the natural landscape, spatially orientated to capture views across out to the ocean, the residence is wrapped with a swimming pool and ponds, embracing the serenity of the Great Barrier Reef waterways.

Solis by Renato D’Ettorre Architects. Photography: Mads Mogensen

by Anne-Maree Sargeant  // The Snap Assembly blog // AMS-info

DESIGN // AUSTRALIAN INTERIOR DESIGN AWARDS – Short List announced!

The shortlist for the Australian Interior Design Awards has been revealed - collectively the stellar list of projects demonstrate that the Australian design industry is thriving, with the shortlisted design practices representing excellence across the many different spheres of interior design.

The judging process, conducted under the auspices of the Design Institute of Australia, also adhered to the protocols of the International Federation of Interior Architects/Interior Designers  - deeming a shortlist nomination to be acknowledgment that selected projects were executed to the highest level.

The eight-member jury included leading design professionals, among them Robert Backhouse, MD HASSELL, Rosina Di Maria, principal WOODS BAGOT SA, Nick Tobias, TOBIAS PARTNERS, and Kirsten Stanisich, director of SJB NSW.

With project categories spanning Public Space, Residential, Workplace, Retail, Hospitality, Commercial and Installation – today we take a look at a few of the interior design finalists – Robert Mills Architects, Smart Design Studio and Derlot / Alexander Lotersztain.

Sorrento House by Robert Mills Architects   [image Earl Carter]

Tusculum Street by Smart Design Studio [image Sharrin Rees]

Chester Street by DERLOT / Alexander Lotersztain   [image Florian Groehn]

designEX congratulates all finalists, and we look forward to the official awards ceremony on April 27^th held at a gala dinner at Doltone House, Jones Bay Wharf, in Sydney.

Over the coming weeks we will share more projects by this years finalists.

Read the full shortlist HERE.

australianinteriordesignawards.com

by Anne-Maree Sargeant  // The Snap Assembly blog // AMS-info

DESIGN // FRAME Moooi finalists announced – CONGRATULATIONS FACET STUDIO!

With the ultimate award to be presented during Salone del Mobile on April 18, ten finalists have been announced in the prestigious FRAME / Moooi interior-design award – among them Sydney based designers at FACET STUDIO for the ‘shoe box’ display system!

FACET STUDIO ‘Shoe Box’ – Australia

Entry criterion required submissions custom designed furnishings or lighting that have been launched in mid-2011. The jury included Philippe Starck, Marcel Wanders, and the founders of Frame Publishing, who collectively made their selections on an anonymous basis, freeing judges from being swayed by designer’s names, or country of origin.

‘I’m often invited to judge competitions,’ Starck says, ‘I’m happy to say that the level of this one is clearly higher than average, a very nice surprise.’ High praise indeed, from one of the most celebrated designers of the contemporary era!

LEE BROOM ‘Decanter Lights’ - UK

Launched in 2011, the award aims to unite innovative interiors with equally innovative furniture and lighting pieces that have been designed for a specific purpose. The initiative is intended to strengthen the bond between (interior) architects and product designers

References were Mies van der Rohe’s BARCELONA CHAIR, originally created for the 1929 International Exposition in Barcelona or Arne Jacobson’s EGG CHAIR, designed in 1958 for the SAS Hotel in Copenhagen. // framemoooi.com

KEIKO + MANABU ‘ Mist of Arch’ -  Japan

The finalists are:

Ray – integrated ceiling light for an office, by Shl Design (Denmark)

What’s in your locker?– locker system for a school, by Lab 3 (Netherlands)

Caelum– LED table lamp for a bar, by Pablo Martinez Diez (Spain)

Kroon– chandelier for an office and apartment building, by ZMIK (Switzerland)

Shoe Box– display system for a sneaker shop, by Facet Studio (Australia)

Mist of Arch– furniture for public toilet in a department store, by Keiko + Manabu (Japan)

Sketch– display for a fashion shop, by Ypsilon Tasarım, Yesim Bakırküre (Turkey)

Stairway to Heaven– pendant light for a theater café, by Bertjan Pot (Netherlands)

Education Trestles and Easels– educational table system for an art museum, by Studio Makkink & Bey (Netherlands)

Decanterlight– pendant light for a bar, by Lee Broom (United Kingdom)

by Anne-Maree Sargeant  // The Snap Assembly blog // AMS-info

ARCHITECTURE // Historic Houses talks SYDNEY OPEN HOUSES

Bay House, Watsons Bay, 2000.

Depot Beach House, Depot Beach NSW, 2008

Sydney’s Historic Houses Trust, in partnership with NSW Architects Registration Board, will host a dynamic series of talks: SYDNEY OPEN TALKS: HOUSE - lectures that explore the historical and contemporary perspectives in heritage, architecture, design and development. The series of eight conversations with eminent historians and writers that include journalist Jonathan Chancellor, Dr Judith Callahan and Professor Phillip Goad will focus on Sydney’s best-known houses.

Depot Beach House, Depot Beach NSW, 2008

Anna Carter Apartment, Bondi Beach, 1993

The talks will explore different types of housing, ranging from nineteenth century villas and Californian bungalows, to emergency shelters and McMansions.

Speakers also include architects Peter Stutchbury, Hanna Tribe, Tone Wheeler and Sean Godsell, with talks held weekly from April 26^th to June 14 at THE MINT, Thursdays 6-7.30pm.

For tickets and details on the program head to hht.net.au

by Anne-Maree Sargeant  // The Snap Assembly blog // AMS-info

All houses pictured are designed by Peter Stutchbury Architects.

Photos: Michael Nicholson
 

DesignEX Seminar Series-7 Kinds of Happiness

AMS speaks to Emma Telfer, partner of Office for Good Design, the collective producing the seminar series for designEX, with talks falling within the overarching theme exploring 7 Kinds of Happiness: Conversations on Design and Emotion

1. Introduce us to OFFICE FOR GOOD DESIGN - what was the motivation to establish the collective?

We (Kate Rhodes, Dan Honey & Emma Telfer) met whilst working on the State of Design Festival in Melbourne. Committed to assisting in the development of the creative industries in Australia, we realised that there was an opportunity to create programming and content that would contribute to this mission. We were also motivated to form our partnership because we respect each other, share creative values and have fun along the way.

The Office creates platforms for new design work, critical discussion and interdisciplinary exchange. Through exhibitions, public conversations, strategies and activities, both self-initiated and commissioned, we seek innovation, support experimentation, and advocate the value of good design and creativity.

2. Please share some recent projects

Collectively, we have delivered design and community development programs for Victorian Government departments of Major Projects and Business Innovation, the Queensland Government Department of Premier and Cabinet, Melbourne Open House, Indesign Group, Architecture Media, Victorian College of the Arts, Craft Victoria, The National Design Centre, L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival and Object: Australian Centre for Craft and Design.

We are currently working with Arts Centre Melbourne on Audio Architecture, a design program commissioned for the launch of Hamer Hall’s major refurbishment in July.

Audio Architecture explores cities and sound through a public talks symposium, tertiary student design camp, five workshops, and an online exhibition.

We are also continuing the Sound of Buildings. Launched during State of Design Festival and Melbourne Open House 2011. Sound of Buildings is an app that offers multimedia walking tours of Melbourne’s most architecturally significant buildings, told through the voices of designers, building users and children. 

And of course, 7 Kinds of Happiness: Conversations on Design and Emotion with designEX

3. What are OFGD currently most excited about

We are really excited about the caliber and diversity of speakers during 7 Kinds of Happiness; Alice Rawsthorn is an incredibly articulate design critic and we are looking forward to learning from her during her visit. Also, The Happy Place, designed by DesignOffice, promises to be an exciting venue for the speaker sessions.

Audio Architecture is going to be a major highlight for our year. We cannot give away names yet, but we will be inviting leading international architects, engineers, sound designers, theorists and artists to contemplate Melbourne’s sonic qualities and ‘personality’, and consider how can we creatively use sound to positively influence architecture and design.

4. Of the OFGD project with DesignEx - why Happiness as a topic?

We were engaged by designEX to shake up the standard keynote lecture series they have produced in the past. We were interested in creating an immersive and engaging experience that is critical but accessible to a broad audience.

With 7 Kinds of Happiness, we were inspired to explore how designers use, explore or consider happiness in their practice. Should designers work with happiness in mind? Do they think design can create happiness?

Through this exploration, we are eager to see if design can assist in creating a greater sense of community and belonging, and a heightened civic wellbeing by making happiness a desirable outcome. 

SEMINAR DETAILS:

7 Kinds of Happiness: Conversations on Design and Emotion is a series of live digital and physical conversations, each exploring a different kind of happiness and using happiness as a lens to discuss each speakers’ practice.

Happiness 1 with Alice Rawsthorn (live keynote)

Happiness 2 with Stefan Sagmeister In conversation with Sam Spurr and David Burns of N (via Skype) 

  Happiness 3 with Rotor In conversation with Sam Spurr and David Burns of N (via Skype)

 

Happiness 4 with Ilse Crawford In conversation with Sam Spurr and David Burns of N (via Skype)

Happiness 5 with WORKac In conversation with Sam Spurr and David Burns of N (via Skype)

Happiness 6 with Anthony Burke, Gerard Reinmuth and TOKO In conversation with Sam Spurr and David Burns of N (live panel discussion)

Happiness 7 with Broached Commissions on Australian Design History In conversation with series’ host (live panel discussion)

 

http://7kindsofhappiness.com / o-f-g-d.com 

BUY TICKETS  // http://www.eventbrite.com.au/org/2037810515?s=7394245

by Anne-Maree Sargeant  // The Snap Assembly blog // AMS-info

ARCHITECTURE Wang Shu, the 2012 Pritzker laureate

Chinese architect Wang Shu, from the Hangzhou-based practice Amateur Design Studio he established with his wife Lu Wenyu, has been announced as the 2012 laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, architecture’s most prestigious award.

The field of architecture was chosen by the Pritzker family because of their keen interest in building due to their involvement with developing the Hyatt Hotels around the world; and because architecture was a creative endeavor not included in the Nobel Prizes. The procedures were modeled after the Nobels, with the final selection being made by the international jury with all deliberations and voting in secret. Nominations are continuous from year to year with hundreds of nominees from countries all around the world being considered each year.

Chairman of the Hyatt Foundation and sponsor of the prize, Thomas J. Pritzker shared the thoughts behind the jury selection:

‘The fact that an architect from China has been selected by the jury, represents a significant step in acknowledging the role that China will play in the development of architectural ideals. In addition, over the coming decades China’s success at urbanization will be important to china and to the world. This urbanization, like urbanization around the world, needs to be in harmony with local needs and culture. 
China’s unprecedented opportunities for urban planning and design will want to be in harmony with both its long and unique traditions of the past and with its future needs for sustainable development.’



‘There are significant questions about the recent process of urbanization in China, whether it should be anchored in tradition or if it should just look toward the future. As in any great architecture, Wang Shu’s work is able to transcend that debate producing an architecture that is timeless, 
deeply rooted in its context and yet universal.’ said Alejandro Aravena, one of the Pritzker jurors. 



‘My starting point is always the site, I need to understand about the life, the people, the weather. (…) I know something existed before me - my buildings come from somewhere’ Wang Shu says, ‘other architects talk about space. I talk about typology and prototype. The prototype relates to memory.’

Along with his wife, Shu established Amateur Architecture Studio – referencing ‘amateur’ as someone who engages in an activity for pleasure rather than profit — ’for myself, being an artisan or a craftsman is an amateur or almost the same thing.’



Graduating from the Nanjing Institute of Technology in 1985 , Amateur Architecture Studio completed works include the ‘Ningbo Contemporary Art Museum’ and ‘Ningbo History Museum’ both located in Ningbo, China along with the ‘Xiangshan Campus of the China Academy of Art’ in Hangzhou, China. Temporary works include a pavilion for both the 2010 and 2006 Venice Architecture Biennales.

This year’s jury members included Australian architect and 2002 Prizker laureate Glen Murcutt, and 2004 Pritzker recipient Zaha Hadid.

READ ‘Decay of a Dome’, Wang Shu’s installation from the Venice Architecture Biennale 2010 here as reported by designboom.

IMAGES :: Ningbo History Museum, 2003-2008 // Ceramic House, 2003-2006,  © Lv Hengzhong // Five Scattered Houses © Lang Shuilong // Shainghai Pavillion 2012 (c) Lu Wenyu //

by Anne-Maree Sargeant  // The Snap Assembly blog // AMS-info

ART Paul Davies at Tim Olsen Gallery

Paul Davies paintings reveal a passion for modernist architecture, with the geometry of the houses he paints juxtaposed by the surrounding landscape. Working from photographs, then using stencils and paint, the paintings blur the lines between abstraction and realism.

At just 32 years old, Davies’ international profile is rising after showing in Los Angeles and London, prior to a solo exhibition at The Cat Street Gallery during the Hong Kong International Art Fair. Representing Davies, gallery owner Tim Olsen describes his practice as ‘a cross between Melbournian Howard Arkley and a technical drawing textbook (on acid).’ Olsen recently put a toe in the Melbourne market, the solo show of Davies work sold out entirely prior to the opening.

Visit Paul Davies new exhibition at Sydney’s Tim Olsen Gallery until March 11, 2012, the exhibition part of Art Month Sydney.

timolsengallery.com // pauldavies.com.au // artmonthsydney.com.au

by Anne-Maree Sargeant 

The Snap Assembly blog // AMS-info