Vicostone introduces versatile Ultrathin Quartz surface collection

Dezeen promotion: Vicostone has launched a collection of ultra-thin quartz surfaces that are available in several colours to suit a variety of purposes in interior design.

The Vicostone Ultrathin Quartz slabs measure just five millimetres in thickness, which makes it "the world's first extremely thin quartz slab" collection.

It is designed by the American stone supplier Vicostone for ease of delivery, fabrication and installation, while ensuring that it can be easily applied to a mix of different interior surfaces, ranging from kitchen counters to staircases.

"The recently introduced Vicostone Ultrathin Quartz has quickly gained attention as it's the world's leading quartz product of its unique thinness," said Vicostone.

"There are a lot of reasons for it to be heavily sought after by interior designers and architects. Despite its significantly reduced size and weight, Vicostone Ultrathin Quartz still retains its excellent performance and beauty of quartz."

The Vicostone Ultrathin Quartz slabs are available in several colours to ensure the product is applicable in any space.

Each slab is made from approximately 90 percent pure, natural quartz, which ensures it is "super durable, resistant to stain, scratch, heat, impact and corrosive chemical agents".

Vicostone Ultrathin Quartz is also extremely lightweight so it can be delivered quicker and more easily than other natural stones.

In comparison with natural stone and traditional quartz slabs, Vicostone Ultrathin Quartz is also easier to cut – negating the need for complex tools and machinery. This helps to reduce dust released in its manufacture, improving the environmental credentials of the product.

Vicostone recommends the Ultrathin Quartz for use on countertops, full wall backsplashes, and shower walls. However, it can also be used on structures ranging from staircases to fireplace cladding and tables.

The material can also be used to revitalise old furniture, as it adheres to wood and metal surfaces.

Vicostone first introduced the Ultrathin Quartz at IMM Cologne – the international furniture and interiors fair that took place in Germany earlier this month.

Find out more about the collection on the Vicostone website.

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Design shows in China including Design Shanghai and Festival of Design postponed due to coronavirus outbreak

Organisers of the Design Shanghai trade fair and the Festival of Design architecture conference have cancelled their March 2020 events as the coronavirus outbreak disrupts travel and business in China.

Design Shanghai, the biggest contemporary design show in China, said it was moving the fair to May "to ensure the welfare and safety of visitors to our show".

Shanghai architect Neri&Hu has scrapped plans for its Festival of Design conference after "carefully evaluating the situation and potential risks." The event will return in March 2021.

The two high-profile events are among an increasing number of industry events affected by the virus, which has so far claimed 213 lives in China.

Shows in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou affected

Shenzhen International Furniture Fair, which was due to take place from 18 to 21 March, announced it has postponed its dates to June.

The Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province and Guangzhou Municipal Commerce Bureau announced the suspension of all large trade events "to ensure health and safety of all participants".

The 45^th China International Furniture Fair, which was due to take place in Guangzhou from 18 to 21 March, is among events affected.

Meanwhile, dealers have been calling for the Art Basel Hong Kong show to postpone its upcoming edition, due to take place in Hong Kong from 19 to 21 March. The fair has yet to announce a decision.

Design Shanghai postponed for "safety of visitors"

Design Shanghai was scheduled to take place from 12 to 15 March at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre.

It will now take place in the same location from 26 to 29 May, assuming that the virus has been contained by then.

"After careful consideration and advice, we have made the difficult decision to postpone Design Shanghai to ensure the welfare and safety of visitors to our show, our exhibitors and our team," said Design Shanghai director Zhuo Tan.

"We are grateful to have confirmed new dates in the same venue with the same layout so as not to compromise the quality and success of the fair," she continued.

"We appreciate the show of support that we have received from the design community and our partners during this time."

The organisers of Design Shanghai made the decision in consultation with the Chinese government and local authorities, as well as the fair partners, venue and local team. Exhibitors were notified on 30 January.

Launched in 2014 by Media 10, Design Shanghai has become one of the region's most highly acclaimed shows for the design market. The fair was sold to Clarion Events in June 2019.

Festival of Design cancelled due to "potential risks"

Neri&Hu told Dezeen they had decided "with great disappointment" to cancel the 2020 edition of Festival of Design.

The third edition of the annual conference, which invites architects from around the world to deliver lectures, was due to be held in Shanghai at the same time as Design Shanghai.

"It is with great disappointment that we have to inform all related parties on this unexpected decision, but it seems to be the best course of action at this time, setting the health and safety of our guests and attendees as our top priority," said Neri&Hu's Rossana Hu and Lyndon Neri.

"We shall resume the Festival of Design in Spring 2021, but for now, we pray for those whose health is affected by the virus outbreak and hope that the design community will be effective in offering our own contribution to the on-going relief efforts," they added.

Coronavirus a global emergency

The first case of flu-like coronavirus infection was detected in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, on 31 December. Efforts to contain the virus have failed, with almost 10,000 cases reported in China so far and infections reported around the world.

The World Health Organization yesterday declared the outbreak a global emergency.

The Chinese government has been rapidly building a 1,000-bed hospital in Wuhan in a bid to contain and treat patients suspected of contracting the coronavirus.

The 25,000-square-metre Huoshenshan facility in Wuhan is expected to be in operation by 3 February, while a second 1,600-bed hospital called Leishenshan is set to be ready by 5 February.

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Zaha Hadid Architects releases visuals of amorphous OPPO Shenzhen headquarters

Zaha Hadid Architects has revealed its proposal for four interconnected towers in Shenzhen, China, which will contain the open-plan headquarters for OPPO.

Set to break ground later this year, the amorphous OPPO headquarters is designed by Zaha Hadid Architects to accommodate the continual growth of the company dubbed as China's leading smartphone manufacturer.

The headquarters will measure 185,000-square-metres, and in a bid to echo the company's "commitment to connectivity", it will contain a number of large atriums surrounded by light-filled open-plan offices.

"OPPO launched their first phone in 2008, growing to become China's leading smartphone manufacturer and the fifth largest worldwide with over 40,000 employees in more than 40 countries," explained the studio.

"Accommodating this growth, OPPO's new headquarters will continue their commitment to connectivity through design."

Zaha Hadid Architects' proposal for the OPPO headquarters was the winning design in a international competition – seeing off competition from the likes of BIG, SOM and Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners.

The building is slated for completion in 2025. The highest of its four towers will contain 42 storeys, reaching 200 metres in height.

The studio has dedicated two of the towers solely to open-plan office space. These towers will be linked by a 20-storey lobby and punctured by a number of large atriums.

Meanwhile, the remaining two towers will serve as external service structures and contain all the building's main circulatory routes.

This configuration is designed by Zaha Hadid Architects to create open, uninterrupted floor space throughout the offices, and encourage collaboration between different departments as a result.

"Locating the towers' service cores externally frees the centre of each floor from obstructions; providing uninterrupted views throughout the building that will enhance interaction between employees," said the studio.

"The abundance of natural light, varied working environments and diversity of routes for staff and visitors to move through the building are all conducive to creative engagement and spontaneity."

Though different in size, the towers will be unified by their sinuous glass forms that taper inwards towards ground level.

This reduction in floor area is designed to cater for a large landscaped plaza planned at street level, which is hoped will provide "new civic space for the city". Here there will also be an art gallery, shops, restaurants and a direct link to Shenzhen's subway.

Once complete, the OPPO headquarters will also contain publicly accessible dining, leisure and entertainment facilities on the 10th floor, and a public viewpoint at roof level.

Zaha Hadid Architects is an international architecture studio founded in 1980 by the late Pritzker Prize-winning architect Zaha Hadid. Today, it is headed up by Patrik Schumacher who recently defended architecture's long-hours culture at Dezeen Day.

Elsewhere in China, the studio is developing Unicorn Island to support the growth of China's technology and research sectors, and has recently completed a giant starfish-shaped airport and 45-storey Leeza Soho skyscraper.

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Project credits:

Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects
Design: Patrik Schumacher and Christos Passas
Zaha Hadid Architects project directors: Charles Walker (Commercial Director), Christos Passas (Design Director), Satoshi Ohashi (ZHA China Director)
Zaha Hadid Architects project associates: Hussam Chakouf (Competition Lead), Juan Liu, Yang Jingwen
Zaha Hadid Architects project designers: Melhem Sfeir (Competition Lead), Duo Chen, Katerina Smirnova
Zaha Hadid Architects project team: Massimo Napoleoni (Facade Specialist), Aleksander Bursac, Mihai Dragos-Porta, Vera Kichanova, Ying Xia, Che-Hung Chien, Meng Zhao, Qi Cao, Alex Turner (Graphic Designer)
Zaha Hadid Architects workspace analysts: Uli Bloom, Philip Siedler, Lorena Espaillat Bencosme
Zaha Hadid Architects project support: Tatiana Chembereva, Camille Kelly

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Paola Paronetto combines paper and clay to create delicate vessels

Italian ceramicist Paola Paronetto has unveiled two new vase designs, created using her distinctive "paper clay" technique.

Based in the Alpine village of Pordenone, where she grew up, Paronetto has developed a unique method for creating ceramics with seemingly fragile shapes and proportions.

Her technique involves adding a certain amount of paper pulp to the ceramic mixture, which offers extra stability.

It also makes it possible to add vertical folds that will remain after the clay has been fired.

Paronetto has used the process to create two new designs, which she unveiled at the Maison&Objet homeware fair in Paris earlier this month.

Named Bosco and Pistilli, both are designed to replicate forms in nature.

Bosco is a set of slender vessels, with arms that extend out like the branches of a tree. The word "bosco" means wood in Italian.

This is one of the most difficult pieces to produce in Paronetto's whole collection – the mixture has to be exactly right in order for the branches to stay in place throughout the production process.

Pistilli is a series of tired vessels, available in a variety of different shapes and sizes. The name is a reference to the female reproductive part of a flower, the pistol.

"Both families of objects are composed of tubular shapes to assume facets that are both evocative and abstract, almost playful," reads a statement released by Paronetto.

"As suggested by their names, the objects of the Bosco and Pistilli series acquire their maximum expressiveness in groups, playing with different heights and/or colours, just as in nature."

Paronetto has spent a decade developing her paper clay technique. Each piece is unique, handmade by the ceramicist using her traditional potter's wheel.

Her best-known work is the ongoing Cartocci series, which includes vessels in the shapes of bottles and cacti, as well as bowls that resemble mushrooms.

The ceramicist recently also used the technique to create a series of ceramic pendant lamps.

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Architecture and design events in February 2020 from Dezeen Events Guide

Modernism Week in Palm Springs, Stockholm Design Week and the Collect crafts fair and Surface Design Show in London are among the architecture and design events taking place this month and listed on Dezeen Events Guide.

Other events taking place in February include Madrid Design Festival, Nomad St Moritz and Object Rotterdam.

Stockholm Design Week

Stockholm Design Week is Dezeen's first major excursion of the year, as we have several events taking place in the city. Check the Stockholm section of Dezeen Events Guide for details!

The week takes place from 3-9 February in the Swedish capital, with more than 200 events across the city, including the Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair, which is the biggest design fair in Scandinavia.

The Guest of Honour at this year's fair is Indian-British design duo Doshi Levien, who will present an exhibition explaining their working process in the entrance hall of Stockholmsmässan, where the fair takes place.

The fair's talks programme will include a lecture by Doshi Levien's Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien moderated by Dezeen founder and editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs. It takes place at 2pm in The Design Bar at the fair.

Modernism Week

Modernism Week takes place in Palm Springs, California this month. The 15th year of the festival will include walking, biking and bus tours of many of the mid-century houses in the area, as well as films and lectures.

Talks include an exploration of the female architects involved in designing Palm Springs, and TWA Hotel: Rebirth of a Modern Icon about the restoration of Eero Saarinen's 1962 TWA Flight Center at JFK airport.

Collect craft fair

The Collect: International Art Fair for Modern Craft and Design functions more like an art fair, with galleries taking stands to show exhibitions by specific designers and makers.

Collect moves to London's Somerset House this year, with over a quarter of participating galleries showing for the first time.

Galerie Scene Ouverte from Paris will show furniture and objects in small editions, in the manner of a New York apartment, and three South Korean galleries will show new work.

See more events in London on Dezeen Events Guide.

About Dezeen Events Guide

Dezeen Events Guide is a new guide to the leading architecture and design events taking place around the world each year.

With over 100 events in 30 countries already listed for 2020, including conferences, trade fairs, major exhibitions and design weeks, the guide is updated weekly.

Inclusion in the guide is free for basic listings, with events selected at Dezeen's discretion. Organisers can get enhanced or premium listings for their events, including images, additional text and links, by paying a modest fee.

In addition, events can ensure inclusion by partnering with Dezeen. For more details on inclusion in Dezeen Events Guide and media partnerships with Dezeen, email eventsguide@dezeen.com.

The illustration, featuring Ragnar Östberg's 1923 Stockholm City Hall, is by Rima Sabina Aouf.

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