cooper hewitt – DesignApplause

cooper-hewitt 2021 national design award winners.

Sep 1, 2021

above> the chicago riverwalk / courtesy ross barney architects

DesignApplause always looks forward to meeting the winners of this prestigious award. this happening never disappoints. let’s take the opportunity for a special nod to fellow-chicagoan carol ross barney and ross barney architects

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[ design visionary ]

cheryl d. miller is a graphic designer, author, and theologian who is best known for her advocacy on racial, cultural, and gender equity, diversity, and inclusion. an accomplished, award-winning designer and businesswoman, miller established one of the first black women-owned design firms in new york city in 1984. cheryl d. miller design, inc. serviced corporate communications to a fortune 500 clientele, including bet, chase, philip morris usa, time inc., and sports illustrated, as well as nonprofit african american organizations that grew out of the civil rights movement. miller’s seminal 1987 article for print magazine, “black designers missing in action,” laid the groundwork for her advocacy, followed by “embracing cultural diversity in design” in 1990, “black designers: still missing in action?” in 2016, and “black designers forward in action” in 2020. miller lectures widely. her work and archives were acquired by stanford university libraries in 2018. miller is the aiga medalist 2021, “expanding access.”

above> black designers missing in action / courtesy cheryl d. miller

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[ climate action ]

designed by doris sung, the invert™ self-shading window uses smart thermobimetal pieces inside the cavity of a standard double-glazed window to shade a building in a magical way—with a kaleidoscope of fluttering butterfly-like pieces. by responding to the sun, it dynamically blocks solar radiation from heating the building and thereby reduces air-conditioning usage by 25 percent, using zero energy and no controls. given that 40 percent of all energy used is in buildings, far more than transportation or other industries, and 12 percent of that energy is spent on cooling interiors, any amount of reduction has a tremendous impact on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. through her work, sung seeks ways to make building skins sensitive and responsive to the changing environments. she is the founder of los angeles-based dosu studio architecture, the director of undergraduate programs at usc, and the recipient of fellowships including from google’s r+d for the built environment, united states artists and the rockefeller foundation at bellagio.

above> the invert™ self-shading window / courtesy of doris sung

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[ emerging designer ]

founded in 2017, colloqate design is a multidisciplinary nonprofit design justice practice based in new orleans with a focus on expanding community access to, and building power through, the design of social, civic, and cultural spaces. its mission is to intentionally organize, advocate, and design spaces of racial, social, and cultural justice throughout the built environment. through programming, planning, and design projects, colloqate seeks to dismantle the privilege and power structures that use the design professions to maintain systems of injustice. colloqate organizes to build knowledge, power, and access in the communities it serves through ongoing community gatherings and workshops to share and build collective knowledge around the process of city-building. its work speaks to the potential for equitable spaces and attempts to visually and physically represent its collective aspirations for the future.

storia: defrag/ courtesy of colloquate design

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[ architecture and interior design ]

founded in chicago in 1981, ross barney architects’ mission is to create well-designed spaces for everyone. the studio is dedicated to the design of “noble” projects, without the most generous budgets or the most sought-after commissions, but those that are important to daily life and require innovative interventions. ross barney architects’ best work is often for unexpected, compelling projects that go beyond architecture, and exist on the edges or in the margins where design thought and consideration might not conventionally come into play. notable projects include the chicago riverwalk, mcdonalds’ flagship restaurants, cta cermak-mccormick place and morgan street stations, and the oklahoma city federal building. the studio has adopted a holistic approach, engaging the client, user, and community to allow a project to grow out of its place, history, and function.

above> the chicago riverwalk / courtesy ross barney architects

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[ communication design ]

founded in 1996 in los angeles, imaginary forces is an award-winning studio specializing in design-based visual storytelling. led by peter frankfurt, chip houghton, karin fong, tosh kodama, alan williams, ronnie koff, anthony gibbs, and grant lau, imaginary forces takes its name from the prologue of shakespeare’s henry v, where the narrator summons us to imagine the humble stage as a grand battlefield. for 25 years, the studio has created work that dares audiences to conjure up entirely new worlds. known for designing iconic title sequences including for marvel, mad men, boardwalk empire, and stranger things, imaginary forces has brought motion design into the worlds of advertising, architecture, gaming, and documentary film production. the studio is proud to have launched the careers of countless colleagues in the motion design industry. imaginary forces’ work has won numerous emmys and appeared in moma, walker center, wexner, sxsw, and the venice architecture biennale.

above> mad men / courtesy imaginary forces

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[ digital design ]

based in los angeles, behnaz farahi is an award-winning designer whose work is situated at the intersection of digital design, architecture, fashion, and interactive design, ranging from the scale of wearables to architectural installations. farahi explores how materials in the environment can be imbued with artificial intelligence and life-like behaviors, incorporating techniques such as eeg brain imaging, facial and gaze tracking, 3d printing, as well as novel actuator systems, such as smart materials and pneumatics systems. she engages with the latest developments in neuroscience, cognitive philosophy, computational design, artificial intelligence, and feminism, in order to spark imagination and foster conversations about the future of design. she is assistant professor of design at csulb and co-editor of 3d-printed body architecture (2017) and interactive futures (forthcoming). her work is in the permanent collection of the museum of science and industry, chicago, and clients include adidas, autodesk, fuksas studio, and 3dsystems / will-i-am.

above> iridescence / courtesy behnaz farahi

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[ fashion design ]

becca mccharen-tran is a fashion designer, cultural worker, and the founder of future-forward bodywear line chromat. in her design practice, mccharen-tran interrogates the cultural hegemony around representation and inclusion. a forbes 30 under 30 pick for “people who are reinventing the world,” mccharen-tran is creating a world that empowers women, femmes, and nonbinary people in fashion and beyond. mccharen-tran delivered a ted talk on the urgency of racial, gender, and disability justice in fashion and has lectured at sxsw, parsons, mit, cfda, pratt, fit, and mica. she also staged the “queer joy” exhibition at moma ps1, a series of performances and installations celebrating the lgbtq community. chromat has been profiled in major publications such as vogue, the new york times, and the wall street journal, and has collaborated with intel, disney, reebok, mac cosmetics, mit design lab, and equinox.

aw 14 bionic bodies / courtesy of becca mccharen-tran

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[ landscape architecture ]

studio-mla integrates landscape architecture, urban design, and planning to create places that inspire human connection, unite communities, and restore environmental balance. “advocacy by design” is a foundation of the practice. for more than 25 years, founder and president mia lehrer, fasla, has sparked the team’s inventive thinking to address complex relationships within urban and natural environments. from the master planning of rivers to the design of intimate plazas and gardens, the studio is recognized for creativity, pragmatism, and responsibility across a range of scales and geographies. with offices in los angeles and san francisco, its 45-person team includes landscape architects, planners, botanists, and ecologists from around the world. diversity and multiple perspectives add meaning to collaborations and value to outcomes. together, the firm believes in the transformative power of design to recalibrate its shared surroundings for a resilient future.

above> amplifying storytelling / courtesy studio-mla

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[ product design ]

biolite is on a mission to empower people and protect the planet through access to renewable energy. a social enterprise that develops, manufactures, and markets advanced energy products for off-grid communities around the world, the company creates novel cooking, charging, and lighting solutions that serve both outdoor enthusiasts and rural communities without access to the grid. headquartered in brooklyn, new york and nairobi, kenya, the company was founded in 2009 by jonathan cedar and alec drummond. biolite is proudly a carbon neutral company and a founding member of climate neutral, an independent nonprofit dedicated to helping companies measure, reduce, and offset their carbon footprint. to date, biolite has impacted over 1.7 million people across africa and asia and avoided over 400,000 tonnes of co2e through its clean energy solutions—equivalent to taking 100,000 cars off the road for a year. the company is the recipient of numerous recognitions, including the red dot design award, fast company’s innovation by design award, core77 design award, and businessweek’s most promising social enterprise.

above> grid in the sky / courtesy biolite

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[ jury ]
kofi boone
billy fleming
joe gebbia
kristine johnson
grace jun
patricia saldaña natke

[ what are the national design awards? ]
the national design awards program was launched in 2000 as an official project of the white house millennium council, with the goal of increasing awareness and understanding of how design improves everyday life. presented each year by cooper hewitt, smithsonian design museum, the awards recognize innovation and impact in design. nominations are made by the general public, and winners are selected by a diverse jury of design leaders and educators.

2020 times square valentine heart unveiling: heart squared.

Jan 30, 2020

modu and eric forman studio’s heart squared is the winner of 2020 times square valentine heart design competition, presented by times square arts and curated by cooper hewitt, smithsonian design museum. as this year’s winning design, heart squared will be unveiled on 30 january at 11:30am at father duffy square, between 46th and 47th streets.

tilted in various directions within a steel frame that evokes the outline of an anatomic heart, the 125 mirrors of heart squared transform the spectacle of times square into kaleidoscopic images of people, buildings, and brightly-lit billboards. while the position of each mirror seems random, the designers developed a specialized technique to calculate the specific angles in order to hide a playful surprise.

the sculpture will be free and open to the public through the month of february. visitors can follow the conversation on social media using #hearttsq.

more information about the project is available at tsq.org/heartsquared

nominate now for the 2019 national design awards.

Dec 7, 2018

above > the asterisk trophy

cooper hewitt, smithsonian design museum is pleased to announce an open call for nominations for the 20th annual national design awards program.

nominate exceptional candidates who have made meaningful contributions to the world through design for the 2019 national design awards. learn more about the national design awards program, including information about award categories and eligibility requirements, as well as the history of honorees.

[ categories ] reflecting the ever-growing scope of design, the national design awards program now includes ten jury-selected award categories and a director’s award selected by the museum.

lifetime achievement
director’s award
design mind
corporate & institutional achievement
architecture design
communication design
fashion design
interaction design
interior design
landscape architecture
product design
emerging designer

questions? email us at designawards@si.edu or call 212.849.8337.

[ 2019 nomination deadline: 18 december 2018 ]

cooper hewitt high school student design challenge. #thinkoutside

Jan 17, 2016

cooper hewitt, smithsonian design museum announces the launch of student design challenge #thinkoutside, its first-ever nationwide competition for high school students, inviting them to submit ideas for an outdoor chair inspired by objects from the museum’s collection. organized by cooper hewitt in collaboration with target, the challenge’s winning chair design will be manufactured by the retailer for exclusive use in the museum’s recently redesigned arthur ross terrace and garden. the deadline for entries is feb. 21.

inspiration (above) purse – early 17th century | silk and metallic macramé | museum purchase from au panier fleuri, mcneil and general acquisitions endowment funds. (below) wrapping cloth (pojagi), sewn and pieced silk – ca. 1900 | museum purchase from roy and niuta titus foundation fund.

“as the nation’s design museum, we have the responsibility to encourage and celebrate our country’s aspiring young designers,” said caroline baumann, director of cooper hewitt. “our student design challenge is an amazing opportunity for students to express and share their design creativity with the world, and i am thrilled that cooper hewitt will give these talented young designers recognition for their vision and ingenuity.”

“design is an essential part of target’s dna—it’s infused into the best of everything we do,” said todd waterbury, chief creative officer, target. “working with cooper hewitt, an organization that’s at the epicenter of cultivating and celebrating great design, allows us to share target’s passion with a new audience and connect students to our own design team, helping young designers bring their ideas to life.”

inspiration (above) vase – ca. 1960 | made by salviati & company (murano, italy) | gift of michael lewis balamuth. (below) sugar bowl and creamer – ca. 1928 | designed by ilonka karasz | manufactured by paye & baker manufacturing company | gift of george r. kravis ii.

cooper hewitt will showcase, in a special online exhibition, the designs of five finalists and four honorable mentions, to be announced march 4. the winner will be announced on april 4, and the winning design will be manufactured into seven limited-edition chairs—five will be installed in cooper hewitt’s arthur ross terrace and garden and unveiled during national design week from oct. 15–23, and two will be awarded to the winning designer.

additionally, the finalists will work with members of target’s internal design team, via videoconference in early march, to help them refine their chair designs in advance of the presentation stage of the challenge. during the weekend of april 1, each finalist will visit new york city to attend a workshop with target designers at cooper hewitt, and to present his or her design to the student design challenge judges.

inspiration (above) man’s hat (ashetu) (cameroon), mid- to late 20th century | crocheted cotton, wood splints. museum purchase through gift of mrs. william goulding. (below) ph artichoke hanging lamp – 1958 | poul henningsen | manufactured by louis poulson & co

caroline baumann and todd waterbury will be joined by a world-class panel of creative experts to evaluate the finalists’ designs and select a winner in early april, including walter hood, principal and founder, hood design; steven keating, head of performance footwear design, puma; rachel shechtman, founder, story; tana smith, youtube star “tanamontana100” and author; and tony whitfield, associate professor of art and design, parsons school of design. susanna sirefman, president of dovetail design strategists, is the competition advisor overseeing the development and management of the competition.

in mid-may, the winning designer will travel to target’s headquarters in minneapolis, where target designers will give the winner a firsthand look at the prototyping and manufacturing process for his or her chair.

the student design challenge is an extension of cooper hewitt’s educational outreach initiatives: designprep offers free in-depth design education programs to more than 1,000 new york city high school students each year, introducing them to college and career opportunities in design, and design in the classroom, which introduces students in grades k–12 to design thinking and learning through interactive workshops, has reached 80,000 students in six pilot cities with plans underway to take the program nationwide.

for more information about the student design challenge #thinkoutside, including eligibility requirements, submission guidelines, rules and conditions, and resources for students and teachers, visit [ cooper hewitt | design challenge ] the website also features a comprehensive design lesson plan that teachers may use to encourage their students to participate in the challenge.

founded in 1897, [ cooper hewitt ] is the only museum in the united states devoted exclusively to historic and contemporary design. on dec. 12, 2014, cooper hewitt opened in the renovated and restored carnegie mansion, which offers 60 percent more exhibition space to showcase one of the most diverse and comprehensive collections of design works in existence. the renovation of the carnegie mansion and museum campus was recognized with leed silver certification. currently on view are 9 exhibitions and installations featuring hundreds of objects throughout four floors of the mansion, many of which draw from the museum’s permanent collection of more than 210,000 objects that span 30 centuries. the fifth installment of the museum’s popular contemporary design exhibition series, “beauty―cooper hewitt design triennial,” on view from feb. 12–aug. 21, will celebrate design as a creative endeavor that engages the mind, body and senses, and will feature more than 250 works by 63 international designers organized around seven themes: extravagant, intricate, ethereal, transgressive, emergent, elemental and transformative. visitors can experience a full range of new interactive capabilities, including the opportunity to explore the collection digitally on ultra-high-definition touch-screen tables, draw their own designs in the immersion room and address design problems in the process lab.

minneapolis-based [ target corporation ] serves guests at 1,805 stores since 1946, target has given five percent of its profit to communities, which today equals more than $4 million a week.

chicago’s obama presidential library announces seven finalists.

Dec 21, 2015

the obama foundation today released a finalist list of seven choice – all modernist – architects for the honor of designing the presidential library in chicago.

no word on how many requests for qualifications (rfq) were sent out but 140 did respond representing 99 united states-based firms, 25 countries and 60 cities. the chosen seven represent four from new york, two from europe and one from chicago.

“the foundation received submissions from an impressive list of architects with a range of styles, expertise, and experience,” said martin nesbitt, chairman of the foundation. “we are pleased to see such a high level of interest in the design from so many highly-qualified architecture firms. these finalists offer a variety of backgrounds and styles, and any one of them would be an excellent choice.”

the obama foundation released the request for qualifications on 26 august of this year and asked for submittals by 16 september. the foundation and its advisers reviewed and summarized the responses and made recommendations to the president and first lady, who then made the final selection.

the firms are asked to return preliminary plans to the foundation during the first quarter of 2016. this process is not the traditional juried design competition, but the rfp requires defined, visual responses from each candidate to present creative ideas. it’s expected the architects will present at the white house.

of interest, the finalists have an additional challenge of providing concepts for two locations, jackson park and washington park, both founded in 1870 and linked to each other via the midway plaisance. 20 years later jackson park was developed by architect daniel h. burnham and his partner john root to site the 1893 world’s fair, columbian exposition. due to their close proximity to each other both parks attracted 27 million worldwide visitors over the fair’s six months. the final architect standing will have a big voice in which site will be chosen.

the architect will be responsible for designing the obama presidential center, a facility which will include a library holding the presidential archives, a museum focusing on the obama presidency and issues of our time, and space for programs and initiatives that advance the foundation’s public mission.

chicagoans may not recognize the names on the list, but they may be aware of their local work: adjaye’s retrospective at the art institute of chicago; piano’s modern wing at the art institute; ronan’s poetry foundation and gary comer youth center; diller scofidio + renfro is designing the university of chicago’s rubenstein forum; tod williams billie tsien architects work on the logan center for the arts also on the university of chicago campus.

the national museum of african american history and culture | adjaye associates | courtesy smithsonian

adjaye associates | london & new york
adjaye associates, has worked on projects across four continents. notable works include the nobel peace center in oslo, norway, and the smithsonian institution’s national museum of african american history and culture, currently under construction in washington, d.c. the art institute of chicago is currently running a mid-career retrospective of adjaye’s work.

new york city high line | diller scofidio and renfro | courtesy friends of the high line

diller scofidio and renfro | new york
the firm is led by three partners – elizabeth diller, ricardo scofidio, and charles renfro. their portfolio includes major institutional projects including lincoln center in new york, and the broad museum in los angeles. also, new york’s high line and the university of chicago’s future rubenstein forum at 60th street and woodlawn avenue. diller and scofidio, became the first architects to win a macarthur foundation “genius” grant in 1999.

modern wing at the art institute of chicago | renzo piano building workshop | courtesy rob cleary

renzo piano building workshop | genova, italy, paris & new york
founded in 1981 by renzo piano and no stranger to the president and first lady, as are a few others on this list, piano was awarded the prestigious pritzker architecture prize in 1998 and the aia gold medal in 2008. notable works include the modern wing at the art institute of chicago, the california academy of science, and the whitney museum’s new building on gansevoort street in new york. current projects include the palais de justice in paris, france.

poetry foundation | john ronan architects | courtesy john ronan architects/hedrich blessing

john ronan architects | chicago
john ronan architects has designed many academic and civic institutions in chicago such as the gary comer youth center where the obama foundation held its press conference to announce site selection in may 2015. other notable chicago works include the lyrical and refined poetry foundation and the gary comer college prep. ronan was awarded the aia institute national honor award for both the poetry foundation and the gary comer youth center. [ ronan interview ]

site santa fe | shop | courtesy shop

shop | new york
shop architects won the architecture design award from the cooper hewitt, smithsonian design museum in 2009. notable work includes the barclays center in brooklyn, the botswana innovation hub in gaborone, botswana, and academic buildings at the fashion institute of technology in new york and is currently designing uber’s new headquarters in san francisco.

obama library concept for hawaii’s failed bid to win the presidential center | snøhetta | courtesy snøhetta

snøhetta | new york & san francisco
originally founded in norway, snøhetta was awarded the prestigious mies van der rohe prize in 2009 for the norwegian national opera & ballet. snøhetta’s body of work includes the bibliotheca alexandrina in egypt, the expansion of the san francisco museum of modern art, and the james b. hunt jr. library at north carolina state. in 2014, obama spoke at the dedication of the firm’s national september 11 memorial museum pavilion, calling it “a sacred place of healing and hope.”

logan center for the arts on the university of chicago campus | tod williams billie tsien architects | courtesy of university of chicago/jason smith

tod williams billie tsien architects | new york
williams and tsien founded their firm in 1974. their studio — by choice — designs only institutional, academic, civic, and residential work. they were awarded the 2013 national medal of arts by president barack obama. noteworthy work designed by williams and tsien include the barnes foundation in philadelphia, the logan center for the arts at the university of chicago, and the neurosciences institute in la jolla, california. they are currently designing the united states embassy complex in mexico.

[ download rfp ]

iittala’s ruutu honored by cooper-hewitt.

Nov 10, 2015

[ iittala ] ruutu vases are honored by the cooper-hewitt, national design museum permanent collection. updating the museum’s holding of scandinavian and contemporary glass, ruutu joins previously selected iittala glassware by tapio wirkkala in this curated and highly respected collection.

iittala’s first collaboration with ronan and erwan bouroullec, ruutu is a series of 10 vases available in five sizes and seven colors. when collected and combined, they make a seamless installation where both the strength and delicate qualities of glass come alive. meaning diamond in finnish, ruutu is created from mouth-blown glass in iittala’s finland factory. each vase takes seven craftsman 24 hours to produce. the large color version presents the biggest manufacturing challenge: reaching an even, delicate color requires the exact temperature, timing and a great deal of expertise in glass-mass chemistry. precise execution of a well-conceived design makes ruutu a natural fit for a museum devoted to advancing the public understanding of design and human creativity both past and present.

located in new york city, the [ cooper-hewitt ] is one of nineteen museums that falls under the wing of the smithsonian institution and is the only museum in the united states devoted to historical and contemporary design. the permanent collection consists of more than 200,000 objects representing contemporary and historical design in four curatorial departments – drawings, prints, and graphic design; product design and decorative arts; textiles; and wallcoverings.

[ iittala ] started as a glass factory in iittala, finland in 1881, today celebrates generations of essential objects that are made to enrich people’s everyday lives. iittala believes objects should be distinctive, combinable and multi-functional, with lasting design that inspires individual use and expression. as a company based in fin-land, where quality, aesthetics and functionality are important values, iittala believes in interior design that lasts a lifetime. the progressive philosophy of finnish design heroes, kaj franck and alvar aalto, acts as in inspiration to keep iittala forever relevant.

editor’s note> ruutu possesses extraordinary technical detailing, the corners for example, the clearness and purity of color, the gradation of color due to the variance in thickness, i.e., the lightening at the very thin and unique 30 degrees corners. photography does not do this collection justice. click on photo > enlarge

be original americas awarded fast company’s 10 most innovative companies in design.

Feb 12, 2015

Fast Company today announced its annual ranking of the world’s 10 Most Innovative Companies in Design for 2015, honoring leading enterprises and rising newcomers that exemplify the best in business and design. Be Original Americas was named on the list along with Charter Member Herman Miller and 30 Weeks, Ammunition Group, Code and Theory, Gumroad, Ikea, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Beyers, Michael Graves Architecture & Design and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. This honor was passed along to the more than 60 media sponsors, VIPs and Be Original Americas’ members attending the first Annual Members Meeting, held at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum on February 5th 2015.

Most Innovative Companies is one of Fast Company’s most significant and highly anticipated editorial efforts of the year. The magazine’s editors spend months gathering and analyzing data on companies around the globe.

antoine roset

In response to the recognition, Antoine Roset, President, Be Original Americas (and Executive Vice President, Roset USA Corporation) noted, “Being part of Fast Company’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Design is great recognition for Be Original Americas. Innovation is what drives our industry, and Be Original Americas is there to share all of the values that make an original product a better product; even a safer product. This acknowledgement represents one more step against copies and knockoffs, as we continue and intensify our mission of informing, educating and influencing individuals and organizations on why supporting authentic design is critical for our economy, our environment and our ethics as a society. If we don’t value and protect authentic design, what is design’s future?”

above> caroline baumann below> jerry helling

Caroline Baumann, Director of the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, introduced outgoing Be Original Americas President Jerry Helling (and President and Creative Director, Bernhardt Design) who, along with other Charter Members, addressed the significant progress of the movement and the organization’s plans for the future. The meeting announced the election of new Officers and Board Members, upcoming events, and the creation of related CEU courses for the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Interior Design Continuing Education Council (IDCEC), set to be completed by May.

[ Be Original Americas ] is committed to initiating discussion on the importance and value of preserving original design across the Americas, through informational, educational and influential marketing initiatives and other efforts to promote this critical issue.

Be Original charter members – including Alessi, Artek, Bernhardt Design, Emeco, Flos, Fritz Hansen, Herman Miller®, Ligne Roset, Poltrona Frau Group and Vitra – believe that the value of authenticity cannot be underestimated or taken for granted in the marketplace. Through an aggressive program of lectures, workshops and round-tables, the movement campaigns to establish a set of industry standards that encourages public and professionals, along with our media partners, to fully support creativity and authenticity, to invest in the future of design, to incentivize innovation, and to give back to the industry and the people it serves.

FC’s Most Innovative Companies March 2015 issue is now available [ online ] as well as in app form via iTunes, and on newsstands beginning 17 February. Photography by Federica Carlet.

above> knockoffi of fritz hansen’s series 7 chair designed by arne jacobsen seen in tokyo tower. [ see original ] [ see more not original ]

a preview of the future… zoë ryan. graham foundation.

Nov 13, 2014

event> a preview of the future…
venue> graham foundation | madlener house 4 west burton place chicago 312.787.4071
date> 17 november 2014 | 6p cst

under the overarching title, the future is not what it used to be, the 2nd istanbul design biennial explores the potential of the design manifesto to envision and interrogate the future, now. in our contemporary context of rapid social and political change, how might design manifestos address larger issues while remaining grounded in everyday life? could the manifesto move beyond its western origins and incorporate ideas from across cultures? are new forms of media generating new forms of manifestos? zoë ryan, john h. bryan chair and curator of architecture and design at the art institute of chicago, and curator of the 2nd istanbul design biennial, will discuss its making, which is on view through december 14, 2014.

zoë ryan is a curator and writer. she is the john h. bryan chair and curator of architecture and design at the art institute of chicago where she is building the museum’s first collection of contemporary design and expanding its architecture collection. her recent exhibitions include building: inside studio gang architects (2012); fashioning the object: bless, boudicca, and sandra backlund (2012); bertrand goldberg: architecture of invention (2011); and hyperlinks: architecture and design (2010). prior to working at the museum, ryan was senior curator at the van alen institute in new york. ryan has authored and edited numerous publications, including, building with water: designs, concepts, visions (birkhauser press, 2010). ryan is often called upon as a juror and critic and has lectured on her work internationally. she has served on the advisory committee of the experimenta design biennial in lisbon, and has been a juror for the national design awards, cooper hewitt national design museum and the wheelwright fellowship, graduate school of design, harvard university. ryan is an adjunct associate professor in the school of design at the university of illinois at chicago and is a lecturer in the art history department of the school of the art institute.

this talk is presented in partnership with the architecture & design society of the art institute of chicago.

designapplause talked to zoë leading up to 2nd istanbul design biennial [ more ]

Top six holiday ornaments for designers.

Nov 19, 2012

click > enlarge

This year ditch the popsicle stick art and put down the plastic googly eyes and pine cones and deck your halls right. We like to trim our tree with a collection of ornaments we’e designed and made ourselves as well as few store bought pieces, which can be really hit or miss. To save you time hunting down those elusive, not horrendously ugly mass produced ornaments, we’ve made a list of our six favorite picks.

Themis Mobile Mono, Artecnica (above) Though technically not an ornament, we’d love to decorate exclusively with Clara von Zweigbergk’s cheery geometric constellations.

Pantone Christmas Ornament, Cooper-Hewitt Shop. Buck the tired red and green motif with ornaments in your favorite Pantone colors.

Astro Ornament, CB2. A flocked, retro astroid ornament makes for a very midcentury Christmas.

Felt Ball Garland, Crate & Barrel. You could easily make this yourself, and with better colors, too, but if you’re short on time chances are there’s a Crate & Barrel not too far away.

Flock Together Ornament, ABC Home. Wooden ornaments make for a nice mix of materials on typically glass-heavy trees.

Elf Mobile Ornament, MoMA Store. Time design by Bent Knudeen, 1953

about perrin drumm

Cooper-hewitt acquires sarria basket by alessi.

Apr 26, 2012

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Maybe I’m a bit of a museum geek, but I love hearing news about what artworks museums acquire for their permanent collections. My enthusiasm goes double for design objects since they tend to receive less focus than fine art. That’s why I was so excited to learn that The Shop at Cooper-Hewitt recently acquired Sarria, a basket made by Catalan architect Lluis Clotet for Alessi.

The collection started with Foix, a round serving tray. Those same rumpled edges are amplified in Sarria, which is made from the same steel colored epoxy resin, now in super black, a new color version made with a special epoxy. It’s uniquely waterproof – pour any liquid over the surface and it will run off without wetting the basket at all. You don’t have to wait for Cooper-Hewitt to exhibit it, either. Sarria is for sale from the Cooper-Hewitt’s gift shop for the modest price of $75 (it’s $130 everywhere else).

More about Clotet, from Alessi’s bio:

Born in Barcelona in 1941. He receives the architecture degree in the “Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura” of Barcelona in 1965. In that school, he was a drawing teacher from 1977 to 1984. During the 95/96 and 96/97 courses he was a visiting professor in the P.F.C classroom and Projects I and II teacher in the 97/98, 98/99 and 99/00 courses. In 1964 he founds Studio Per in cooperation with the architects Pep Bonet, Cristian Cirici and Oscar Tusquets. With the latter, he collaborates in multiple projects until 1983. In 1984, he joins in partnership with Ignacio Paricio for the architectonic production until the year 2008. He is also a founding partner of the firm “B.D Ediciones de Diseño” There are collections of his work in the Modern Art Museum of New York (USA), in the Industrial Design Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris (France), in the Architecture Museum in Frankfurt (Germany), in the Bonnafort Gallery in San Francisco (USA), in the New York World Gallery (USA), and in the Columbia University (USA).

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