100 % Design 2012, as seen by Architonic

Everyone loves a comeback. And they seldom come any bigger in design terms than 100% Design, which, this year, under new management made a very clear statement of intent – to put the creativity and excitement back into this London Design Festival regular through a more considered, almost curated kind of approach to mounting a design trade show. More, please.

Architonic’s photo tour of 100% Design, London Design Festival 2012

'Corniches' shelving system by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Vitra

Inspired by an idea of ‘impromptu storage area,’ France’s famous design duo Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec have realised this versatile, customisable shelving system for the Swiss furniture manufacturer Vitra. Available in three different sizes and in either high-gloss black, white or Japanese red, ’Corniches’ ‘are neither regular shelves nor simple horizontal surfaces, but rather individual, isolated protrusions’ which can serve many purposes within practically any environment. The design was launched earlier this year at Salone del Mobile in Milan. (more…)

the fibreglass 'Formula chair' by Eero Aarnio for ADELTA, 1998

In the visual arts the term ‘plastic’ is used for any form of creation involving a medium that can be sculpted or moulded, but it is also the term for a type of material that revolutionised the twentieth century. The name of no other material describes so clearly the inherent property which makes plastic so unique – the ease with which it can be shaped.

Using a number of plastic chairs as an example Architonic outlines the metamorphosis of this item of furniture which more than any other is deeply involved in cultural history, charting how its design idiom and technology have changed in recent decades. (by Susanne Fritz)

read Susanne Fritz’s article on Architonic

Prouvé RAW. Jean Prouvé by G-Star RAW for Vitra

Prouvé RAW, a collaborative project between the Swiss furniture-manufacturing heavyweight Vitra and the international denim brand G-star exploring classic and lesser-known designs by the renowned French furniture designer Jean Prouvé is currently on show at the Zaha Hadid-designed

Hadid Firestation at Vitra’s Weil am Rhein campus.

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'Jill Tube' by Alfredo Häberli for Vitra; photo by Marc Eggimann ©Vitra

Following the number of high-profile collaborations with some of the most prominent contemporary designers, Swiss furniture-manufacturing heavyweight Vitra has unveiled ‘Jill’ during this year’s Milan Salone del Mobile.

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'Osso' chair by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Mattiazzi

The Bouroullec brothers will presents these two novelties during the upcoming Salone del Mobile in Milan: ‘Osso’ (engl.: ‘Bone’) is a new solid wooden chair for the small, family-owned company Mattiazzi that has been manufacturing chairs for others since about forty years. The chair’s processing is based on highly skillful handcraft combined with a sophisticated CNC set of tools.

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Tip Ton, BarberOsgerby, Photographer Marc Eggimann © Vitra (www.vitra.com)

At the upcoming Salone del Mobile in Milan, Vitra is going to present its Home Collection 2011 with new products designed by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Antonio Citterio, Konstantin Grcic, Alfredo Haeberli, Jasper Morrison and Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby.

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Antonio Citterio presented at this year’s Orgatec the new ID chair for the Swiss manufacturer Vitra. We met him and talked about the the chair and the actual relevance of design in general. Enjoy!


more Vitra products @ Architonic