LDF 14 _ V&A rallied the most the eminent architecture and design talents in UK for its annual special exhibition during London Design Festival 2014.
With a delicate gesture Zaha Hadid has partially covered the courtyard’s fountain with two layers of prestressed aluminium to create a 16 mm thick curved surface. Crest's structure has been built to be assembled as a flat plate and then bent into shape in situ.
Zaha Hadid said "We envisaged a piece that would emerge from the centre of pool. The metallic surface will reflect the sky on one side and the rippling water on the underside".
Photo credits Luke Hayes (above + cover)
Crest is designed as a temporary installation which will remain at the V&A, London’s pivotal cultural hub, during the London Design Festival 2014. It will then be taken to Dubai to become a permanent part of the ME Dubai hotel.
During the opening Melodie Leung, Associate, Zaha Hadid Architects comments ‘It’s a type of process that we’ve never done before, it was an experiment and about achieving a precise form as thin as possible. This is the thinnest shell structure we have built to date’
Walking through the stunning Raphael Gallery, you bump into the imposing installation Double space - Precision and poetry in motion, placed in the roof of the exhibition room. The kinetic sculpture is designed by Barber & Osgerby and commissioned by BMW. The choreographed movement of the two mirrored giant silver structures giant distorts the view of the Raphael cartoons on display, the architecture of the room and the viewer’s perception of the space.
"We just want to go to the space but we are not able to do it yet" said Edward Barber laughingly regarding the vision behind the project "It's not about design of a shape, it's about the experience".
“The dramatic scale and complexity of this commission makes it a real challenge and is an amazing opportunity for us to further explore themes of movement and performance." comments the designers duo.
Photo credits BMW
Part of the the project The wich list-What I have always wanted is... Paul Smith in collaboration with Nathalie de Leval and Nicholas Chandor Head of Interiors for Paul Smith.
Paul's shed is a rotated wood structure and it takes advantage of sun or shade in different times of the day.
Paul goes on to explain, ‘The shed is 3m by 3m, the same size as my first ever shop in Nottingham. Completely coincidentally, Matisse’s famous cut-out ‘The Snail’ is also the same size.'
Why did Paul Smith select Nathalie to realize his "wish"?
‘In this highly commercialised world it is so nice to discover someone who is so hands on, not only in terms of her design but also in the making of her furniture. Nathalie’s understanding of the materials she works with is really amazing, she combines this with fantastic craftsmanship to make something truly contemporary.’
Paul Smith is one of the 10 design legends, who has been selected by Sir Terence Conran and the AHEC - American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) to work with 10 emerging talents who have been asked to design and make something for their mentors that they have always wanted but had never been able to find.
‘The Wish List’ pairs up established designers including John Pawson, Amanda Levete, Zaha Hadid and Richard Rogers , Norman Foster with young designers. The design teams developed their ideas together and the pieces were crafted and produced at the Benchmark studio and factory in Kintbury, West Berkshire.
Photo credit Petr Krejci Photography
23
7
11
comment