Art meets design in Visionnaire's latest furniture collection

Dezeen promotion: seven multidisciplinary creatives, including interior designer Alessandro La Spada, architect Mauro Lipparini and design duo Draga & Aurel, have contributed to the Beauty collection by Italian "metaluxury" furniture brand Visionnaire.

Spanning more than 60 new product families including seating, tables, lamps and accessories, the collection sees contributors play around with materials to create unique objects that toe the line between form and function, and art and design.

"Beauty is a word with an intense, multifaceted meaning," said the brand. "Besides indicating an outlook of positive energy and hope, the contemporary beauty narrated by Visionnaire sums up an attitude, that of creating extraordinary, unique projects and objects."

Alessandro La Spada's Arkady dining table features a lower shelf made of Crema Marfil stone

As the brand explains, its "meta-luxury" design language is reflected in the materials it uses, which are sustainable and responsibly sourced.

This includes leather that would otherwise be discarded as a by-product, as well as recyclable textiles comprising polyester threads that have been made from recycled plastic bottles.

"Constant technological research, experimentation with materials, the juxtaposition and mixing of elements, the hands of our craftsmen that test, perfect and define a new material solution: these are the factors that go into every single product, making it unique, inimitable, yet reproducible," said Eleonore Cavalli, Visionnaire's art director.

The Douglass sofa features metal borders at the base of its armrests

The brand's latest Beauty collection includes the Arkady dining table by Alessandro la Spada, which features an oval glass top that reveals views of a lower shelf made from irregularly cut, gently marbled Crema Marfil stone.

"The slab of Crema Marfil stone is crafted by hand to add a unique and precious value," said Visionnaire. "This is thanks to bas-relief workmanship, irregular borders and the inclusion of artistic resins and Himalayan salt."

Its brass legs are cast in sand to create an organic, hammered texture, bringing the beauty of nature into a man-made design.

La Spada's other designs include the Douglass sofa, which is upholstered in soft, white leather with arch-shaped cut-outs at the base of its armrests, and the Egmont low tables.

"The big news on the use of marble concerns some new processing techniques that, by exploiting the natural veins of the stone, guarantee unprecedented and extremely natural results," said Visionnaire.

"This includes one called Galuchat, which, through the micro-relief of the thinner veins, makes the stone like a living organism," the brand added.

Draga & Aurel's Amos table features a concrete base

Based in the town of Como, on the banks of the titular lake, Draga & Aurel contributed a console table, a low table, a dining table and a family of lamps.

The Amos dining table features a dark, concrete base that was treated to mimic the natural effect of erosion.

This cylindrical base is embraced by two metal cuffs that were cast in moulds before adding sand to create a texture reminiscent of the surface of the moon. The table is topped by a circular, six millimetre-thick piece of glass.

Shiny metal and dark concrete are contrasted in the Lego table

The Lego table is made from these same, opposing materials, with each used to form an interlocking unit consisting of one leg and half a tabletop.

These are then slotted together like Lego bricks to create one complete, functional table.

"'Lego' has a double meaning in Italian; it means 'to join' but it also recalls the famous game that brought together the childhood of countless children, including that of the designers," said Visionnaire.

The Sputnik lights resemble "metal origami"

Informed by retro-futurism, the Sputnik wall and pendant lamps are named after the world's first artificial satellite and feature LED strips embedded into brass tubes.

Strung up on these tubes are folded, rhombus-shaped sheets resembling "metal origami", which reflect the light emanating from behind.

Mauro Lipparini's Montparnasse sofa features a metal base with decorative leather straps

Architect and designer Mauro Lipparini contributed a series of living room pieces, including the Montparnasse sofa, which features plump, rounded upholstery.

The upper part of the sofa's backrest doubles up as a headrest when tilted upwards.

Meanwhile the Imagine armchair plays with the contrasting textures of soft Nubuck upholstery, a lacquered, glossy wooden frame and subtle gold-coloured detailing running along the front of the legs.

The designer's Imagine armchair features Nubuck upholstery

Each of the products in the Beauty range focus on incorporating sustainable materials – an objective that the brand has prioritised since 2017, with the launch of its Greenery collection.

Since then the brand has aimed to use its products to create "increasingly natural, healthy spaces that embody principles of respect for the environment and animals."

The entire collection is currently on show at Visionnaire's flagship store in Milan, set up as nine complete rooms.

For more information about the collection and a behind the scenes video of it being made, visit Visionnaire's website.

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Still Room in Antwerp is designed to be a "shelter for the mind"

Multidisciplinary practice Studio Corkinho has completed Still Room, a monastic space inside a 19th-century Antwerp building where individuals can escape for peaceful contemplation.

Still Room, which has been sparsely finished with a bed and a writing desk, emerged out of Studio Corkinho's fascination with silence and how it can be exercised to give architectural spaces a greater sense of meaning.

"Our philosophy for Still Room is to design spaces that connect people to a higher purpose, especially in an era when time, distance and our attention spans are increasingly compressed, the room's atmosphere brings us back to our human condition," explained the studio, which is led by Cédric Etienne and Klas Dalquist.

Still Room contains a couple of volumes washed with plaster

The room is set inside the 11-metre-high tower of Noorderpershuis, a former power station near the port of Antwerp which was originally erected back in 1878.

As Noorderpershuis is protected, the studio had to construct the ultra-tranquil environment without making any major alterations to the building's brick structural shell.

Inside one of the volumes is a bed

Etienne found himself reflecting on his past travels to Japan, where he'd often visit to practice silent meditation in Buddhist monasteries. During his trips he'd go to traditional teahouses and inns, otherwise known as ryokans, to "study the emptiness in Japanese traditional architecture".

He also drew reference from the minimalist chapels designed by Dom Hans van der Laan, a Dutch Benedictine monk and architect.

Towards the front of the room is a writing desk

Still Room, therefore, hosts just a couple of timber-framed volumes that have been loosely washed with a bespoke cork-lime plaster. Etienne said that he and the Studio Corkinho team worked "like alchemists" for six months to find the right surface finish.

"I wanted to understand the impact of natural light on the selected textures, and witness how the light from different times and seasons would interact with the space," Etienne explained.

The desk is accompanied by brown leather chairs

One of the volumes frames Still Room's entrance, while the other accommodates a low-lying bed. The base of the bed is made up of blocks of burnt cork, a material which the studio thought would foster a feeling of warmth within the space.

Sisal that's been dyed a similarly dark shade of brown has been used to line the floor. A linen craftsman was also brought on board to chalk-dye the room's curtains, giving them the same heavy, matt appearance as curtains seen in old cloisters.

A desk has been slotted beneath the large arched window that fronts Still Room. It's accompanied by a couple of brown leather chairs and cork ornaments from Studio Corkinho's own collection of design pieces.

Stacked underneath is a selection of books about silent meditation and sacred architecture.

Dark-brown sisal carpet complements the room's brick walls

Studio Corkinho currently invites individuals to use Still Room, but the space is also for yoga workshops, Japanese-style tea ceremonies and as a study room for architecture students of the University of Antwerp.

"Whether used as a study room, a contemplative space or as a place to enjoy a moment without input, the Still Room enables a 'shelter for the mind' for the modern human to anchor his attention in the present time and space," concluded the studio.

Still Room can be found inside a 19th-century brick building that was once a power station

September of this year saw the opening of another silent retreat called The Olive Houses, which is specifically designed for creatives who want a place to work without interruption.

The retreat is hidden up in Mallorca's Tramuntana mountains and includes two small cabins – one for sleeping, one for dining – which are completely off-grid.

Photography is by Piet-Albert Goethals.

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Ten opinions on how the pandemic will change the world

As part of our 2020 review, we've rounded up this year's most incisive opinions on how the coronavirus pandemic will impact our lives, courtesy of everyone from Norman Foster to Li Edelkoort and Rem Koolhas.

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Sergey Makho: post-pandemic homes will be "proud and independent"

Ukrainian architect Sergey Makhno penned an op-ed for Dezeen, outlining seven ways in which our homes will change post-pandemic, including a move from apartments to houses and cities to the countryside.

People will place more importance on self-sufficiency in terms of their water, power and food supply, he argued, while residences will increasingly be equipped with water and air filtration systems and more elaborate working-from-home setups.

Read Sergey Makhno's opinion here ›

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Li Edelkoort: "a blank page for a new beginning"

Dezeen's most-read story of the year saw trend forecaster Li Edelkoort argue that a "quarantine of consumption", caused by widespread lockdowns and the disruption of global supply chains, would cause a reset in societal values.

Showing people that it is possible to live with less, she hoped, would have far-reaching, longterm effects on the economy and the environment, facilitating slower, more localised production, renewed respect for human labour and reduced carbon emissions from travel and transport.

Read Li Edelkoort's opinion here›

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Brian Chesky: "travel as we knew it is over"

In an interview with American news channel CNBC, Airbnb's Brian Chesky argued that the travel and tourism industries will be irrevocably changed in the wake of the global restrictions on the freedom of movement that were put in place to help contain the spread of the virus.

While immediate effects include travellers choosing more local, rural destinations that don't require air travel, Chesky also predicted that the desire to avoid large crowds and the ability to work from "any home" would lead to more longterm stays in less well-known destinations.

Read about Brian Chesky's argument here›

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Rem Koolhaas: coronavirus money could solve climate crisis

The "enormous, unbelievable amounts of money" that were manifested by governments out of nowhere in response to the pandemic would be enough to address "our greatest urgency" of climate change, according to OMA founder Rem Koolhas.

Speaking in a live discussion as part of Dezeen's Virtual Design Festival, Koolhaas lamented that neither the world of architecture nor that of politics had done enough to materialise this funding. He also questioned the widespread heralding of a "new normal", arguing instead that there will be "enormous pressure" to pick up where we left off.

Read Rem Koolhaas' argument here›

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Roar report: escapist restaurant interiors could be "lasting design legacy of the pandemic"

In a bid to cut down on physical contact, hard copies of menus, cash payments, manual taps and door handles as well as communal condiments will go all but extinct in restaurants. This is according to a trend report compiled by Dubai studio Roar in collaboration with more than 170 experts and industry professionals.

Instead, open kitchens will become ubiquitous as stages for demonstrative hygiene practices, while interiors will become ever more escapist and surrealist to compete with the comfort and relative safety offered by diner's own homes.

Read about the Roar trends report here›

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Paul Ferro: "the cubicle will become normal"

The longstanding trend towards open-plan offices, designed to maximise interaction and collaboration, will be reversed because of the pandemic, according to Form4 Architecture co-founder Paul Ferro, with the cubicle making its return from stylistic purgatory.

In a guide to his company's Silicon Valley clients, which include Facebook, Netflix and Google, Ferro wrote that taller partitions and maybe even partial canopies between desks would become essential to stop the spread of droplets and aerosols, in combination with advanced air filtration systems and sterilising UV lights.

Read about Paul Ferro's opinion here›

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Owen Hopkins: a chance for museums to start again

With museums' financial dependence on paying visitors exposed by worldwide lockdowns and their existence called into question by the growing decolonisation movement, architectural writer Owen Hopkins argued that we should take this as an opportunity to rethink the age-old cultural institutions entirely.

Much like magazines and newspapers had to reassess their purpose and business model with the move online, he wrote that museums post-pandemic should become "less fixed, less centralised, less hierarchical, and taking a cue from online media, less defined by the physical form of their existence – that is, architecture."

Read Owen Hopkin's opinion here›

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Norman Foster: pandemic will not fundamentally change cities

Speaking at the United Nations Forum of Mayors in October, Norman Foster argued that Covid will not be the thing that singlehandedly changes the fabric of our cities. "History tells us that the future is not two-metre distancing," he said.

Instead, he posited that it will merely accelerate existing trends, such as the move towards more sustainable, well-ventilated buildings, electric vehicles and increased green spaces in cities to improve health and wellbeing and accommodate urban farming practices.

Read about Norman Foster's prediction here›

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Michelle Ogundehin: homes can be "powerful weapon in the fight against contagion"

Though many experts have predicted a touchless future, where everything from buttons to door handles and water taps is operated via hands-free sensors to contain the spread of germs, Dezeen columnist and interiors expert Michelle Ogundehin argued that the opposite will be true in our homes.

In her article about the 11 ways the pandemic will change our homes – in which she also prophesied an overhaul of traditional floorplans and the West's adoption of the Japanese genkan – Ogundehin wrote that "we will crave profoundly tactile home environments as deliberate respite from the socially distanced world beyond our doors."

Read Michelle Ogundehin's opinion here›

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Roar report: "education spaces will never be the same again"

A second Roar report on the education sector did not anticipate social distancing measures to become a permanent fixture in schools, although it conceded that interiors will likely become more flexible, with folding walls and moveable furniture that can be rearranged to accommodate future pandemic restrictions.

Both teachers and designers who advised on the report argued that a positive "long-term legacy" of the pandemic could be the introduction of WeWork-style co-working spaces, where students can take virtual English or history lessons while existing classrooms can be used for hands-on subjects like science or music.

Read about the Roar report here›

Top image shows white circles that were added to the grass in New York's Domino Park to promote social distancing.

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Shatotto creates brick mosque in Dhaka to "connect the celestial and terrestrial in a poetic way"

Architecture studio Shatotto has completed the brick Mayor Mohammad Hanif Jame Mosque in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Built between a main road and the large Azimpur graveyard, the mosque in the Bangladeshi capital city was designed to be a transition space between the busy and calm environments.

Shatotto designed the Mayor Mohammad Hanif Jame Mosque from brick

"The philosophy behind any mosque is to create a space for prayer, reflection and repentance," explained lead architect at Shatotto Rafiq Azam.

"Mayor Mohammad Hanif Jame Mosque creates a space that acts as a threshold between the chaotic frenzy of life and the serene certainty of death," he told Dezeen. "The project's aim is to connect the celestial and terrestrial in a systematic and poetic way."

The mosque is divided by the shaan

The mosque is split into two brick masses on either side of an open-air prayer space known as a shaan.

On one side is the two-story male prayer hall, while the women's prayer hall, toilets and ablution spaces for men and women, as well as the Imam's room, are located on the other. A bridge connects the two sections on the first floor.

The ground floor prayer room has mushroom-shaped columns

"The concept of the mosque was to create a transparent window between the two lives, the earthy materialistic life and the celestial life once our soul lives our body," said Azam.

"The mosque acts like a window which provides view of both sides, the street on the south overviews the busy life of the living, whereas the north side gives a glimpse of the resting place of the dead."

The first-floor prayer space also has mushroom-shaped columns

Throughout the project, the architecture studio aimed to combine historical forms with contemporary elements. The distinct mushroom-shaped concrete columns in the main prayer halls is an example of this.

"It serves as a departure from traditional mosques in both physical and philosophical designs, combining old and new ideas into a contemporary concept," explained Azam.

The shaan can be used as an additional prayer space

"Instead of traditional cylinders, these columns are shaped like trees with trunks that expand into cement canopies holding up the slabs above them, creating a forest-like environment," he continued.

"This indoor forest features a mix of natural and artificial lighting catered towards creating an elevating experience."

The ground floor ablution spaces combine tradition and contemporary features

Azam pointed to the ground floor ablution spaces and the minaret, which is rectangular to incorporate a lift, as other areas that combine the historic and the modern.

Building the mosque from brick was also a move to draw on historic precedents, including the Shah Mosque at the Lalbagh Fort in the southwest of the city.

The women's prayer room is on the first floor

"Drawing inspiration from the pre-Mughal mosques, the architecture of Mayor Mohammad Hanif Jame Mosque aims to create a connection with history," said Azam.

"The materials used to build the mosque reiterate the same. As seen in most historic mosques in this region, burnt brick is the material used for almost all the structures, sometimes clad with terracotta tiles to add variation in design," he continued.

"Even though the idea of building the mosque from brick is generated from historical reference, a clean, contemporary rendition of brickwork can be seen in the Mayor Mohammad Hanif Jame Mosque."

Mayor Mohammad Hanif Jame Mosque stands next to a graveyard

Previously in Dhaka, Marina Tabassum created a mosque with perforated brickwork to allow light and air to reach the main prayer hall, while Candalepas Associates created a space for 300 worshippers topped with a decorative concrete-vaulted roof in Sydney.

Photography is by Mike Kelley.

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Entries for Dezeen Awards 2021 open 2 February

Want to win one of these amazing trophies next year? Dezeen Awards 2021 will open for entries on 2 February, with the discounted early-entry period running until 31 March. Sign up to the Dezeen Awards newsletter to receive more information.

Now entering its fourth year, Dezeen Awards identifies the world’s best architecture, interiors and design projects, as well as the studios and the individual architects and designers producing the most outstanding work.

Launched in 2018, Dezeen Awards has become one of the most prestigious and popular awards programmes in the industry attracting more than 4,300 entries from 83 countries this year.

Dezeen Awards is also one of the most affordable awards programmes. Our low entry prices are designed to attract smaller studios and avoid categories being dominated by large companies that can afford to enter multiple categories.

Every longlisted and shortlisted project gets its own page on the site, and shortlisted projects will be written about on Dezeen. Winners receive a bespoke hand-made trophy designed by Atelier NL, and a certificate as well as exposure on all our channels.

Here are the key dates to keep in mind so you can prepare your entries for 2021:

2 February 2021

Dezeen Awards 2021 opens for entries.

31 March 2021

Early entry deadline. If you want to save money, submit your entry before 31 March.

2 June 2021

Final entry deadline. This is your last chance to enter at the standard entry price!

9 June 2021

Late entry deadline. If you can't get your entry in on time, there is still hope! We've introduced a late-entry period.

August 2021

This is when we'll publish the architecture, interiors and design longlists.

Early September 2021

This is when you'll find out if your project or product made it onto the shortlist.

See this year's shortlists ›

Late September 2021

Public Vote opens

October 2021

Public vote winners announced

See this year's public vote winners ›

November 2021

Time to celebrate the best architecture, interiors and design projects and studios of the year!

See this year's winners ›

Questions?

If you have any questions about Dezeen Awards 2021 you can contact the team by emailing awards@dezeen.com.

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