'Axum' and 'Labibella' stools by David Keller

Young Israeli designer David Keller has designed a pair of stools called ‘Axum’ and ‘Lalibella’ that are inspired by the Ethiopian cultural influences present in multi-ethnic Israel.

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Detail of the Design Museum Holon, designed by Ron Arad; photo Yael Pincus

The completion of Ron Arad’s small-scale masterpiece that is Israel’s new Design Museum Holon signals a kind of design coming-of-age for the country. With its current design scene set to grow even further, Architonic talks to a number of established and emerging Israeli designers, curators and educators about the significance of Israeli design and where it’s heading…
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'Draw me a lamb(p)' by David Keller

Israeli industrial-design internship programme d-Vision, founded in 2005 by multinational plastics manufacturer Keter, presented its latest project, ‘On/Off’, at this year’s SaloneSatellite in Milan. The 2010 ‘class’ of 15 design graduates addressed the issues of energy consumption and technology in lighting by creating a series of pieces that use LED in an innovative and compelling way. The brief, says curator Ezri Tarazi, was ‘to tell a story in each object in a simple and clear way that will surprise the viewer’.

'Pola' pendant lamp by Etay Amir

Work presented included ‘Draw me a lamb(p)’ by David Keller, a highly graphic piece that cleverly takes a cue from the two-dimensional representation of light rays (in short, lines) often found in children’s drawings of the sun and other light sources; ‘Pola’ pendant light by Etay Amir, which uses Styrofoam as both form-giving material for the lamp, while also functioning as its own packaging; and ‘Still light’, an LED system powered by the electrochemical reaction of copper and zinc electrodes placed in tomatoes, which makes the case for low energy use in a modest, yet powerful way.

'Still light', as part of d-Vision's 'On/Off' project

to the d-Vision website

'Ears' stool by Aqua Creations

The Israeli designer Ayala Serfaty created this artful stool for her Tel Aviv based label Aqua Creations.

Created from a solid metal cushioned tripod frame, the Ears stool is an updated version of Aqua Creations’ 1998 Isa stool which was custom-designed for New York’s hip Kerquelen shoe store. The first of a ground-breaking series of three-dimensional hand-crafted felt upholstered pieces, the Ears stool proposes innumerable options for custom design using multi-layered felt.Offering a dramatic reprieve from a sea of upholstery, the hand-crafted felt will naturally give rise to limited edition series and one-of-a-kind creations. The Ears stool was created in collaboration with textile artist Irit Dulman.

Detail

more Aqua Creations products @ Architonic

Extra Chair by Tarazi Studio

Constructed from a single sort of aluminium profile the Israeli Tarazi Studio created this mono-material chair, which has been production since a few weeks.

“The chair is produced by extrusion process that allows the formation of a transformable-width chair that can become a long bench. The structure transforms its function according to its position in the chair, as a back-rest, as a seat or as a foot. Each component is realized by one of the functions (dent, arch, and notch).”

Extra Chair by Tarazi Studio

seen @ designboom

to the Tarazi Studio website

Peres Peace House by Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas, all Photos by Moreno Maggi

Building the peace house was an initiative originally launched by the late Palestinian leader Jassir Arafat and Israeli president Shimon Peres. At the present day and in particular after the latest manifestations of violence from both camps, the opening of the building, which still bears the name of one of its founders – ‘Peres Peace House’ – comes with a bitter after-taste.

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