Salone del Mobile to evaluate situation as Milan, Venice and much of northern Italy sealed off due to coronavirus

Bosses of Milan's Salone del Mobile furniture fair will meet this week to "assess the situation" as Lombardy and several northern Italian regions were locked down due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The midweek meeting, which was scheduled before Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte signed the emergency decree last night, will examine the impact the ongoing outbreak will have on the fair, which was last month postponed from April to June.

"I gather there is a meeting scheduled for this week to assess the situation, and that was before the recent news," a designer close to the fair told Dezeen.

The decree affects 16 million people in the Lombardy region – Italy's financial and industrial powerhouse and home to much of the country's design sector – and 14 other northern provinces including Venice, Parma and Treviso.

Designers in the city reacted with shock this morning to the dramatic escalation in Italy's fight to slow the spread of the virus, which has now killed 197 people in the country with 4,600 people testing positive.

"Other countries will have to follow"

"We can't go in and out apart from important working reasons or family," one designer told Dezeen. "All the activities stopped. Bars and restaurants must close at 6pm and people have to sit one metre apart."

The designer said it was unclear at this stage whether people were allowed to move around within the affected red zones, or whether they had to remain at home.

"The point is to make the diffusion of the virus slower so that the hospitals don't go into crisis," the designer said. "I think many other countries will have to follow."

"Everyone is really shocked," another Milan designer said. "I don't think it's really hit everyone that nobody can come or go for a month."

"They might as well have created a leper colony like it's like medieval times," the designer added. "It's truly bizarre in modern times to confine 16 million people inside one area."

One Milan design studio emailed its staff early this morning explaining the implications of the decree, saying: "The only form of work allowed is, in fact, smart working."

Brands and designers deciding whether to exhibit in Milan

However, the organiser of one of the key fuorisalone events that take place alongside Salone del Mobile said that the media were exaggerating the situation and causing panic.

"Newspapers are doing bad work," the organiser told Dezeen. "It's not really like how they describe it. I think June will still be fine [for Salone del Mobile to go ahead]".

Many brands and designers are still deciding whether to exhibit in Milan this year. Many companies have followed Salone del Mobile and the fuorisalone events and rebooked for June, but glass brand Lasvit announced last week that it was cancelling its participation.

"Our decision is driven by the existing uncertainty about the situation and its development as well as the clearly lower willingness of people to travel," the brand said.

"At this moment, it is almost impossible to predict what will happen within the coming three months, especially when we speak about the area considered which is currently not recommended to travel to."

"I can't wait until June"

Another design brand told Dezeen it would switch its product launches to New York's design week in May. "I can't wait until June," the brand owner told Dezeen.

The rescheduled Milan fair clashes with Design Miami/Basel, while some Chinese brands are choosing to launch products at Design Shanghai, which has been postponed to 26-29 May due to coronavirus.

The Italian prime minister's decree bans all public and private events, including cultural events and trade fairs, in the newly declared red zones. It will remain in place until at least 3 April. People breaching the rules could be fined or jailed.

Movement for business needs permitted

The decree allows "movements motivated from proven needs of business or situations of need or travelling for health reasons." But it is unclear how strictly the authorities will interpret "proven needs".

Italy's architecture and design calendar has already been heavily impacted by the outbreak of the Covid-19 strain of coronavirus.

The Salone del Mobile, the world's most important furniture fair, was forced to postpone until 16-21 June, while the Venice Architecture Biennale, the most prestigious architecture gathering, scrapped its traditional May opening and will now start on 29 August.

The image is courtesy of Getty.

The post Salone del Mobile to evaluate situation as Milan, Venice and much of northern Italy sealed off due to coronavirus appeared first on Dezeen.

from Dezeen https://ift.tt/3cExIFO

Anna and Eugeni Bach convert former chocolate factory into home and studio

Architecture studio Anna and Eugeni Bach has converted a 19th-century chocolate factory in the Spanish town of La Bisbal into a family home and studio apartment.

Called Dirk and the Chocolate Factory after its owner, the architects preserved many interior details.

Located in the town's centre, a series of minimal modifications to the small brick and stone-clad warehouse created living spaces.

These open onto reimagined external areas for the home.

Each floor of the three-storey structure already featured a different construction technique, so Anna and Eugeni Bach sought to showcase these distinctive elements with their alterations.

On the ground floor, metal beams support a series of brick Catalan vaults.

These vaults run above a large living, kitchen and dining space.

This area opens onto a new patio area with a pool through a run of tall, thin doors.

White counter tops, storage and new fittings such as sockets have been installed directly against the exposed stone walls.

Above, the metal structure supports a wooden framework ceiling.

This upper level of more compartmentalised bedrooms is divided by white partition walls.

Walls stop short of this roof structure to create clerestory-style areas of glazing.

Above in the independent studio apartment, large wooden logs support a thin brick slab finished with a ceramic tile roof.

A large living, dining and kitchen space at this level mirrors the ground floor layout.

In the northern corner sits a double bedroom.

Each level is connected by the existing staircase of the warehouse, with an additional staircase added at the opposite end of the building.

"[The new staircase] allows multiple and flexible uses of both common spaces and rooms," said the practice.

"In this way, the owner's different members of the family can enjoy a part of the house with a good level of privacy and autonomy."

On the northern edge of the patio, a lower block houses an additional kitchen space that opens onto an external dining area alongside the pool.

Topped by a new steel-framed roof structure, a suspended concrete staircase leads up to a new roof terrace atop this single-storey element.

This terrace is shaded by a series of angular bamboo canopies that give the roof a distinctive silhouette.

Contrasting the rough, earthy tones of the existing structure, pale green has been used to accent doors, window frames and this new steelwork.

Previous projects by Anna and Eugeni Bach include a home combining a traditional stone-clad form with a skeletal steel framework, and the renovation of an apartment in Barcelona that features a desk hanging from the ceiling.

Photography is by Eugeni Bach.

---

Project credits:

Architects: Anna and Eugeni Bach
Project architect: Charline Boks

The post Anna and Eugeni Bach convert former chocolate factory into home and studio appeared first on Dezeen.

from Dezeen https://ift.tt/2PZb80V

White Arrow retains original features in overhaul of Berlin's Glogauer Apartment

New York-based studio White Arrow has overhauled this early 20th-century apartment in Berlin, adding in plenty of storage space while carefully preserving the home's original features.

The two-bedroom Glogauer Apartment is occupied by a young family of four and is situated in the city's Kreuzberg neighbourhood, set inside a landmarked building that dates back to 1903.

White Arrow, which is headed up by married couple Thomas and Keren Richter, began by completely gutting the apartment to create more living space for the clients.

"Our goal was to hide asymmetry and create ample discreet storage," said the studio.

The formerly tiny, north-facing kitchen has been relocated into a bright and sunny corner of the apartment that overlooks the nearby Thielenbrucke bridge. It features an iridescent tile backsplash, white cabinetry and marble-topped breakfast island.

Certain features in the kitchen, including the curved brass shelves that display crockery and cooking ingredients, are meant to have an art deco-feel, complementing the apartment's historic details.

The old pantry was also knocked through to create a spacious master bathroom.

Unsightly appliances such as the washer and dryer have been hidden behind panels, and the heating and plumbing systems have also been rerouted.

The refrigerator, freezer and dishwasher are tucked away inside deep storage units that feature lacquered cupboard doors.

The apartment's existing high ceilings, ornate doorframes and coving have all been preserved and worked into the new interior, which has been dotted with vintage furnishings sourced from local auction houses.

"We took inspiration in the home's European location and sourced an eclectic mix of mid-century Italian and French lighting and furniture."

"We love the mix of eras and influences at play and added distinctive 1970s pieces by the likes of Carlo Nason, Ingo Mauer, Greta Grossman, Karl Springer, Fontana Arte, and Willy Rizzo, with artwork by David Black and Christo."

A mix of materials has been incorporated in the apartment, from the travertine table and cane dining chairs to the blue cement tiles that appear in the bathroom and velvet armchairs.

Soaped fir-wood flooring by Danish brand Dinesen also runs throughout.

"The home was an opportunity to experiment with new vendors and fabrication techniques that are uncommon locally — we designed the bathroom and kitchen cabinetry, as well as custom metalwork – we even had marble craned in through a window," recalled the studio.

Berlin is home to a number of design-focused homes. Others include this flat by Club Marginal Architekten, which features colour-block cabinetry and a swing, and an apartment by Raum404, which is painted almost entirely white so that it can double-up as an art gallery.

The post White Arrow retains original features in overhaul of Berlin's Glogauer Apartment appeared first on Dezeen.

from Dezeen https://ift.tt/2v3brk2

Browse all the Pritzker Prize winners on this week's Pinterest board

Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara won the Pritzker Architecture Prize this week, so we've updated our Pritzker Prize winners Pinterest board to feature some of their most important projects. Follow Dezeen on Pinterest or visit our updated board to see more.

Arata Isozaki & Associates designed the Museum of Modern Art in Gumna, Japan. Photo courtesy of Yasuhiro Ishimoto

Alongside Farrell and McNamara's buildings, the board also features projects of the past Pritzker Prize winners. You can find images of the Qatar National Convention Centre, designed by 2019 winner Arata Isozaki, as well as his design for the Museum of Modern Art Gunma in Japan, completed in 1974.

Alejandro Aravena completed the 2005 Siamese Towers – a pair of conjoined classroom and office buildings for the Universidad Católica de Chile. Photograph by Cristobal Palma

Other images you can browse on the board include Bell-Lloc Winery in Spain designed by RCR Arquitectes, the 2017 winners of the prize, and a series of buildings for the Universidad Católica de Chile, completed by Alejandro Aravena, who won the prestigious prize in 2016.

Dezeen's Pinterest account features thousands of images, organised into hundreds of boards. Follow us on Pinterest to keep up to date with our latest pins.

 

The post Browse all the Pritzker Prize winners on this week's Pinterest board appeared first on Dezeen.

from Dezeen https://ift.tt/337o1eQ

Kourosh Asgar-Irani uses parametric software to distort traditional Persian rug patterns

Architect Kourosh Asgar-Irani has created a collection of hand-knotted rugs featuring traditional Persian patterns that have been digitally altered to match a room's architectural elements.

The Vienna-based architect developed the Rugture collection after identifying an opportunity to apply the parametric computer software he was using in his practice to create bespoke patterns.

The patterns are based on traditional nomadic designs from Persia, Anatolia, Armenia, Turkey and southern Russia. These complex geometric designs often employ mathematical principles and are a familiar motif of oriental craft.

Asgar-Irani uses 3D computer software to manipulate the patterns in response to the layout of the room they will be used in.

Inputting parameters relating to the position of doors, windows and furniture causes the pattern to shift and results in a change in the density and colouring.

Light from nearby windows is represented by the inclusion of more white space, while the way people cross the floor between two doors is discernible as path built into the pattern.

"The biggest challenge was to make the computer generate patterns that remind you of old rugs from central Asia," Asgar-Irani told Dezeen.

"I had a clear aim that I wanted to achieve but it took around a year and a half of experimentation before I obtained real control over the pattern generation."

The architect explained that the Adaptive and Dynamic collections are made completely bespoke to fit the space they will be used in, while two other designs can be produced for sale through retailers.

The Classic design features a contemporary interpretation of a traditional pattern that encapsulates the project's central concept. Another design, called Modular, comprises hexagonal units that can be combined to create different layouts.

Asgar-Irani believes he is the first to use 3D computer software and his architectural background in this way to produce adaptive rug designs with parametrically determined patterns.

"Other rug designers work with 2D programmes like Photoshop or Illustrator, but I am working in 3D," he pointed out.

"This way of working with parameters and generative design methods is fully implemented in architecture but not yet in the rug industry. I want to start a new trend with this."

Once the designs are determined and the colours have been adjusted on the computer, the rugs are hand-knotted using traditional methods in the Tabris area of Iran.

The designer explained that his Iranian heritage and his feelings about the way the country is viewed around the world today prompted him to look for ways to support local artisans.

During a panel discussion at the recent Domotex trade fair for floor coverings, he spoke about how the carpet industry in Iran needs help to survive this difficult period.

"Persian rug production goes back thousands of years but all we hear about is the bad things that have happened in the past 40 years or so," he claimed.

"In a way this project can be viewed as an anti-war protest," he added. "I want to show that, despite the war, the currency fluctuations and sanctions, Iran still produces some of the finest rugs in the world."

Other rugs informed by local traditions include Artisan weaver Manju Devi's one-off rug for the Jaipur Rug Foundation, which was made by individually hand-tying 222,184 knots.

Devi's Aas Pass rug features abstract patterns and vibrant colours that were informed by her surroundings in the village of Dhanota in Rajasthan, India.

The post Kourosh Asgar-Irani uses parametric software to distort traditional Persian rug patterns appeared first on Dezeen.

from Dezeen https://ift.tt/2TLxu7g