First Prize – ‘The Optical Window’ by Smart Metropolitans, Poland

The wait is over! VIBIA, in cooperation with Architonic, are excited to announce the three winners of the CREA AWARDS 2012 edition. Creative minds from 40 different countries have participated in this contest, providing ideas for lighting applied to architecture and interior design.The main goal: to create inspiring and convincing photo collages of spaces illuminated using Vibia’s new modular lighting collections.The winners were selected on the basis of the conceptual interaction of the light setting with space, their creativity and the architectural and visual quality of the projects. The decision wasn’t easy for jury members Sevil Peach, Ulrike Brandi, Lars Krückeberg, Martin Gran, Francesc Rifé and Tobias Lutz. Congratulations to all participants for their creativity and thinking beyond conventional. And with that said, here are the winners: (more…)

A pile of prefabricated concrete beams form the structure of Antón García- Abril’s Hemeroscopium house Antón García- Abril 2008 Photo: courtesy Ensamble Studio

When architects such as Jean Prouvé and Charles Eames began experimenting with buildings made using off-the-shelf components following the second World War, little did they know that technology would one day allow buildings to be created from kits cut by a computer anywhere in the world. Architonic looks at some of the more radical examples of contemporary prefabricated architecture, and the materials and technologies making these possible. (by Alyn Griffiths)

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view the ‘Prefabricated Architecture’ photo album

‘Poly’ bowls by Martin Žampach

Young, Prague-based designer and founder of the Designeast.eu webzine Martin Žampach has created this series of hexagonal bowls made of innovative, lightweight-yet-resistant material composed of veneer and cork. Developed in various sizes and proportions, the bowls were recently showcased as part of Colabseries project during this year’s edition of DMY Berlin. (more…)

'MAY' chair by Simo Heikkilä for Nikari; photo by Chikako Harada

As part of Nikari’s year-long project DESIGNS FOR NATURE, which brings together 12 renowned designers or design studios, who, each month, create a wooden product, the renowned Finnish wood manufacturer has just unveiled the latest, fifth design ‘MAY’. Created by the Kaj Franck Design Prize 2011 winner, interior architect, designer and lecturer Simo Heikkilä, the beautifully simple and quintessentially Scandinavian ‘MAY’ has been developed in solid birch and it will be showcased between 30 May – 4 June in Paris during the ‘Designers’ Days’ at the World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 exhibition ’1-2-3 Helsinki! Design en Seine’. Other designers working on the project include: Harri Koskinen, Martí Guixé, Alfredo Häberli and Jasper Morrison & Wataru Kumano who will team up for the December’s edition.

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'Branch' chair by Staffan Holm; photo by DDR GBG

To celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of Milan’s SaloneSatellite, this year its organisers invited fifteen international designers who presented their designs under the theme of ‘Design<->Technology’. Among the the exhibiting designers, all of whom were either former or current participants in the Satellite, was the award-winning Swedish designer Staffan Holm who showcased this delicate, bentwood chair. Inspired by nature, the aptly-named ‘Branch’ was created with the use of complex wood bending technology, Compwood. (more…)

Bayadere Orange flooring by Missoni for Bolon

Two family-owned businesses: the legendary Italian fashion house Missoni and the Swedish flooring specialists Bolon have collaborated on this latest collection of woven vinyl floor coverings. Bearing Missoni’s unmistakable bold patterns, the vibrantly coloured collection comprises three different designs: reminiscent of Missoni’s trademark zigzag ’Optical’, linear ‘Bayadere’ and equally distinctive but toned-down in its colourway, the monochrome ‘Flame.’ In total, the entire range is available in nine different versions and it was launched earlier in April during Milan’s Salone del Mobile fair and will be presented again in less than two weeks during the upcoming Clerkenwell Design Week in London (22 – 24 May). (more…)

Detail of Burri's Landi bench materialised in Natwood

Wood in the Public Space – an Exciting Challenge: we identify a city based on its buildings, its landscape architecture, and its density – however, it is above all the city furniture that makes a cityscape unique and distinctive.

City furniture must have a timeless design, be extremely resistant, and above all must stay beautiful for a long time at minimum maintenance. The life cycle costs of a city infrastructure are an important factor for investment decisions. With wood especially, there may be long-term problems caused by standing water or moss which damages the surface and adversely affects aesthetics, safety and user comfort. This means that life cycle costs could be significantly reduced if these weaknesses could be eliminated without a coating while at the same time substantially increasing durability.

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'The Hardwearing' by Henrik Tjærby, curated by Søren Rose; photo by Angela Moore

On the occasion of Milan’s Salone del Mobile, the renowned, family-run textile brand Kvadrat has invited a number of internationally acclaimed designers who, under the guidance of seven curators, were commissioned to reinterpret one of Kvadrat’s most iconic upholstery fabrics, Hallingdal 65, in a modern concept. Among the 32 designers from across Europe, USA and Asia were some of today’s best and brightest talents in product and industrial design such as New Yorker Stephen Burks, Vienna-based Studio mischer’traxler or the Parisian designer Ionna Vautrin, to name just a few while Tord Boontje, Ilse Crawford, Søren Rose, Hans Maier-Aichen, Constance Rubini, Andre Fu and Jeffrey Bernett were appointed as curators. ‘Hallingdal 65′ exhibition was on view between 17 - 22 April on Milan’s Via Luca Beltrami and will now be presented during the ICFF fair in New York (18 – 22 May) in Jil Sander Showroom, 30 Howard Street. (more…)