Nendo – Page 2 – DesignApplause

50 manga chairs by nendo. milan design week 2016.

Apr 7, 2016

basilica minore di san simpliciano | piazza s. simpliciano 7

friedman benda and nendo present 50 manga chairs. the installation of polished aluminum chairs will make its european premier at basilica minore di san simpliciano, in conjunction with salone del mobile milano, 12 > 17 april 2016 and its american premier in a solo exhibition at the friedman benda gallery in new york, 8 september 8 > 15 october 2016.

above> manga chair, 2015 | polished aluminum | photography> adam reich /// all others below> polished aluminum | photography> nichi sonehara /// photos courtesy of friedman benda and oki sato, nendo,

with this exhibition, nendo abstracts archetypes of manga comics. the chairs are happy, distressed, embarrassed, surprised; they leap and bound, zoom past, or slowly slink away. each chair has its own personality, allowing it to stand on its own or, when placed next to the others, to become part of a collective narrative. a different configuration creates a different story; the chairs come alive in a symphonious display of nendo’s playful japanese design.

50 manga chairs is friedman benda’s third solo show with nendo and th japanese design group’s most ambitious body of work to date. the group’s 2009 new york debut ghost stories featured the acclaimed cabbage chair, which was initially shown in the groundbreaking exhibition xxist century man at 21_21 design site in tokyo. nendo’s 2011 exhibition scatter shelf toyed with optical illusions and repetitive forms, the idea of structure in space.

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[ nendo ] founded in tokyo in 2002, with a second office established in milan in 2005, has received many distinctions, including the iconic design award ‘interior designer of the year’ in 2015, wallpaper* magazine’s ‘designer of the year’ in 2012, and the ‘red dot design award’ in germany in 2008. in 2011, nendo presented visible structures, a solo commission for the high museum of art, atlanta, visible structures was also included in modern by design, a collaborative exhibition between the high museum of art and the museum of modern art, new york.

geometric sensibilities. luminaire.

Jun 4, 2015

While Neocon 2015 is in Chicago Luminaire again puts together the latest experimental and innovative creations via an exhibition at the Chicago showroom.

With Geometric Sensibilities, Luminaire announces its Soft Furnishings collection offering a wide variety of window treatments and floor coverings from Kinnasand, and Raf Simons collection of textiles for Kvadrat. An opening reception will take place Tuesday, 16 June at 6p at Luminaire Chicago to celebrate this exciting new phase.

above> With its subtle yet clear Nordic designs, Kinnasand draws on over 200 years of experience producing high-quality textiles characterized by its impeccable attention to detail and splendid materials. Designed by award winning Creative Director Isa Glink, the designs stimulate the senses adding a new dimension to the experience of a space. A fusion of modern and nomadic aesthetics, the Kinnasand collection transports you to a sensorial and magical ambiance with its rich exploration of structure, texture and colors.

above> In addition, Luminaire’s expanded Soft Furnishings collection also includes the exclusive representation of the renowned designer Raf Simons’ upholstery line for Kvadrat. Recognized for being the Creative Director of Parisian fashion house Dior, Belgium-born Simons is inspired by his deep admiration for art. With an educational background in Industrial and Furniture Design, Simons brings an interdisciplinary approach to all his creative endeavors.

above> Simultaneously on display will be a selection of new designs by Nendo that embody Oki Sato’s quintessential philosophy that each product must capture the inexplicable “!” moments in life such as his new Offset-Frame collection from Osaka based Kokuyo. Moreover, a curated selection of lifestyle objects evoking meaning will be on display. Sourced from all corners of the globe, Luminaire’s accessories offer design driven and functional solutions to everyday life.

[ kinnasand ] Originally from Kinna in southern Sweden, Kinnasand produces subtle yet clear Nordic designs for contemporary homes. In doing so, the company draws on over 200 years of experience in producing unique, high-quality textiles and carpets. These visionary products are characterized by individuality and attention to detail. Made from the very best materials, they are crafted by the world’s finest weavers using state-of.the-art technologies. Designed by Creative Director Isa Glink, the collections have received a number of prestigious national and international design awards. These include the German Design Award, the Interior Innovation Award, the ICFF Editors Award, the Designpreis der Bundesrepublik Deutschland and the Red Dot Design Award.

[ kvadrat ] is Europe’s leading manufacturer of design textiles creating high quality textiles and textile-related products for private and public spaces. Their designs push the aesthetic, technological and artistic boundaries of their field and are characterized by: simplicity, color and innovation. In their ambition to innovate, they collaborate with leading designers, architects and artists. These include Alfredo Häberli, Peter Saville, Akira Minagawa, Tord Boontje, David Adjaye, Patricia Urquiola, Finn Sködt, Olafur Eliasson, Roman Signer, Thomas Demand, and Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec.

[ luminaire ] For over 40 years, Luminaire has been a pioneering force in the design world, a result of the uniquely personal and long-lasting relationships the company has cultivated with an international roster of the most innovative designers and manufacturers of contemporary furniture, lighting and accessories. These associations offer an incomparable selection of furnishings, while an in-house team manages the entire spectrum of client experience, from selection to installation.

Two Miami locations include the flagship Coral Gables showroom and the Design District’s Luminaire Lab that serves as a focal point for experimentation. Also in Miami are Luminaire’s Corporate Offices and 30,000 sq-ft. warehouse, the nerve center that manages a sophisticated system of tracking, distribution and delivery.

event> geometric sensibilities – good design in honest forms.
venue> luminaire | 301 west superior | 312 664 9582
date> tuesday 16 june 2015 | 6p

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a chocolate lounge by nendo for maison & objet 2015.

Jan 23, 2015

this year’s designer of the year title for maison & objet 2015 went to japanese designer oki sato and founder of studio nendo. nendo was asked to design ‘the chocolate lounge’ for the paris trade fair. the studio also created a range of nine chocolate shapes within a 26-millimetre cube. designapplause talks to oki.
[designapplause] oki, the solution is both flat out unadulterated and inspiring as usual. how did the chocolate factory turn out for you?
[ oki sato ] maison awarded us best designer of the year and gave us a space and asked us to create something. that was in november and you know how, we’re very happy for the recognition and what are we now going to do. we thought of the idea of not only touching and feeling the design but actually eating it. hence the concept of using all five senses. the flavor of the chocolate is all the same but interestingly the tastes are different due to the different shapes and textures. we also added the concept of the lounge and we called guilio cappellini, desalto and morosso, companies who have commissioned us and they created limited chocolate colored editions of our design, a soft form like a meltable form. maybe we put a little pressure on them too. then we hand-painted aluminum pipes and cut them to different heights so it feels like you’re sitting in this melting pot of chocolate.

[da] so these 11th hour deadlines work. oki what’s next?
[os] yes, in some cases they do (laughing). and ron, maybe we’ll talk to you in chicago in june at neocon for some new things to talk about.

the chocolates have been named after various japanese expressions
1> ‘tubu-tubu’ – comprised of small chocolate drops.
2> ‘sube-sube’ – with smooth edges and rounded corners.
3> ‘zara-zara’ – rough and granular like a file.
4> ‘toge-toge’ – projecting sharp pointed tips.
5> ‘goro-goro’ – a composition of fourteen connected small cubes.
6> ‘fuwa-fuwa’ – soft and airy with the presence of many tiny holes.
7> ‘poki-poki’ – a cube frame made of chocolate sticks.
8> ‘suka-suka’ – a hollow cube with thin walls.
9> ‘zaku-zaku’ – featuring alternately placed thin chocolate rods forming a cube.

the space is furnished with nendo’s previous seat designs for brands including cappellini, desalto, emeco, glas italia, moroso and offecct. these chairs are custom-colored to match the chocolates and surrounded by 2,000 aluminum 8mm thick pipes painted in brown gradations to form ‘a rippling large molten chocolate wave’. a limited edition of 400 boxes were on sale at the lounge.

previous recipient’s of maison & object’s designer of the year award have included barber and osgerby, the campana brothers and tom dixon. installation images courtesy of nendo with photography by joakim blockstrom – packaging photos by akihiro yoshida.

[ nendo ] [ maison & objet ]

luminaire boasts two big events. design miami 2014.

Nov 25, 2014

this year design miami celebrates 10 years. fittingly, luminaire, a design exemplar in miami presents two events. on monday 1 december, celebrating 30 years in coral gables a newly renovated flagship showroom and a b&b italia miami mono-brand space is unveiled.

and on thursday 4 december, in their design district luminaire lab, continuing a commitment to promoting good design and education curates exhibition DesignJapan featuring three design giants: naoto fukasawa, tokujin yoshioka and nendo,.

[ coral cables ] the award winning, 15,000 sq-ft flagship showroom is inspired by renowned italian architect and designer piero lissoni and the luminaire design team. the new interior continues to be a background to the unparalleled collection in contemporary design and now features b&b italia miami mono-brand space spread across 7,000 sq-ft on the first floor re-affirming the two companies’ 30 years relationship and the alignment of their vision and philosophies.

originally opened in 1984, the kassamali’s built luminaire’s flagship store in coral gables. in the same year, the miami chapter of the aia recognized the showroom with the award of honor in architecture, while the aia’s florida association gave it the award for excellence in architecture.

the building, which was created to showcase the company’s philosophy that good design is a way of life, has continued to earn accolades from the aia, garnering the florida association’s 10-year test of time award in 1996, the 25-year test of time award from the miami chapter in 2008 and again from the florida association, the 25-year test of time merit award of excellence in 2012. and now in 2014, the new luminaire interior, inspired by renowned italian architect and designer piero lissoni.

the interior project, the blend of architectural details and materials, and the interplay of light and shadow, give rise to a setting full of personality, with a strong, original and international image rich of ideas, proposals and solutions that inspire people and create environments that affect peoples lives.

event> coral gables showroom – b&b italia miami
venue> luminaire coral gables | 2331 ponce de leon blvd
opening reception> 1 december 2014 / 7p / rsvp

[ designjapan ] blurring the boundaries between art and design, designjapan exhibits works by three japanese tokujin yoshioka, nendo and naoto fukasawa, who create enduring objects tokujin yoshioka, nendo and naoto fukasawa, who create enduring objects- ambiguous. though each designer has his own unique approach and vocabulary, designjapan invites guests to interact and explore how place, technology and material inform these designers.

harnessing its materials, whether natural or synthetic, japanese design is characterized for capitalizing on the material while at the same time combining respect for tradition with forward thinking experimentation. within the exhibit, the viewer is able to witness each of the three designers’ ability to reduce objects to their most essential elements. though pure in form, materiality adds richness to each product.

from the sculptural forms of yoshioka’s brook ottoman for moroso, designed especially for issey miyake, and the shimmering prism collection for glas italia, to the pureness of expression in nendo’s softer than steel collection for desalto, the zabuton for moroso and the brushstroke consoles for glas italia, to fukasawa’s approachable softness in the common bench system for viccarbe, each designer’s understanding of the world around them is on view.

event> designjapan
venue> luminaire lab | 3901 ne 2nd avenue miami design district
dates> 2 – 6 december 2014
opening reception> 4 december 2014 / 7p / rsvp

Cos x nendo + pop-up good fit for retailers. Milan 2014.

Apr 19, 2014

We get asked a lot about what’s trending though lately the big topic is who’s putting more emphasis on their online capabilities and what’s driving traffic to the website. For example in March [shades of blue] in conversation with Matteo Alessi, international sales and development director for Alessi, the pop-up concept was mentioned as a way to build face-to-face relationships that transfer to online purchases.

Again, a few weeks later, an enticing pop-up presented itself in Milan where clothing label COS and Japanese design studio Nendo created an installation in the Brera district in a very cool space. It was really more Nendo installation than COS. The ground floor space was empty except for the Nendo’s installation (above) and the basement a huge display of Nendo’s work. COS made it’s presence known with just a smattering of simply minimal accessory collections near the ground floor entrance. It was enough.

cos assessories near ground floor entrance

nendo display in basement

su | emeco | 2014

We really went to see Nendo but discovered COS. COS (Collection of Style), owned by H&M, a best-kept secret that everyone in fashion seems to know launched with a catwalk show at the Royal Academy in 2007. An up-market brand positioned at a slightly higher price point to that typically associated with H&M’s fast fashion offerings.

H&M started their guest-designer collaborations in 2004 with Karl Lagerfeld. Then Stella McCartney and avant-garde Dutch designers Viktor & Rolf in 2005. COS partnering with Nendo works well if you’re familiar with Nendo’s simple and almost timeless solutions. Current without being trendy, very Nendo-like.

Until recently, if you lived in the US you had to go to London or Paris to purchase COS because they were in Europe only and sold nothing online. That’s all changed. COS is currently operating across Europe and Asia with a total of 82 stores worldwide and will open its first store in the USA, New York, in spring 2014. Miami might be the next store.

The COS press kit consisted of a well-designed and expensive limited-edition looking spring & summer 2014 magazine (above) and a small creative little brochure with the story behind the pop-up collaboration. The magazine was in English, the brochure in English and Italian, with Italian store locations in back: Bologna, Firenze, Milano, Verona and coming soon, Torino. The details draw you in.[ nendo ] [ cos ]

<a href="about ron kovach

Luminaire: design+world. Design miami 2012.

Dec 15, 2012

designapplause is at the second iteration of luminaire’s ‘design+world’, an ‘important’ installation, because you will see product debuts and first-time U.S. appearances from notable world-class designers and producers. in six hours the installation will open. we wanted to include a photo of nasir kassamali but he said “i will let our work speak for me and my photograph.” doug mcclellan, nasir’s assistant, is showing us around. doug’s title is design catalyst.

“the collection in the window we’re presenting are pieces by nendo including a new collection by brisazza bagno introduced in milan in 2012. the first time being shown in the U.S. we’re focusing on three pieces:, the mirror, the sink and the sliding drawer. also the ‘yuki screen’ room divider from cappellini, and ‘rokumaru’ coat rack by de padova. we are introducing for the first time in the U.S. pendent lights ‘growing vases’ and ‘press lamp’ by lasvit. here’s the nendo ‘k%’ collection which is made in china and singapore and first introduced this year in the U.S. at luminaire chicago in june during neocon. in this collection are the interesting ‘melt’ chair and ‘rain’ book shelf, ‘heavy’ table series, ‘scissors’ room divider and the ‘pencil’ chair.”

“and we’re also launching our e-commerce store and we have a pop-up shop of those pieces here as well. there are about 100 items in the pop-up and about 500 on the online store ranging from small accessories and lighting, side chairs, small tables, so it’s really a curated section of the best luminaire has to offer.”

rock | piet stockmans | 2012

“we’re also presenting new work by the belgium ceramist piet stockmans who we’ve had a long relationship with and his work is in the lightbox.”

forthcoming interview with giuseppe butti, ceo north america, luceplan and designer francisco gomez paz | synapse | 2012

“here we have LED lighting solutions, some of which are organic LED’s. the U.S. debut of ‘synapse’ (above) by designer francisco gomez paz for luceplan. the ‘synapse’ system is based on a repeated three lobed module, consisting of polycarbonate shells and programmable RGB LEDs using wireless technology and white light to create surfaces and divide rooms. the interlocking luminous cells system opens up new avenues of expression.”

winkel | dirk winkel | wastberg | 2012

“new lighting by dirk winkel for the swedish light company wastberg is also first for U.S. the ‘winkel’ lamp is made out of plastic from castor bean oil which is a renewable resource and does not impede the food supply chain.” ~ nasir says watch out for dirk w.

forthcoming interview with bruno dusser-vidalet, blackbody r&d manager | i.rain | thierry gaugain | 2012

“we have ‘i.rain’ by thierry gaugain for blackbody which is a french manufacturer of OLED (organic light-emitting diode ) technology and lighting. ‘i.rain’ is a production introduction as well as debuting in the U.S. via luminaire and boasts the thinnest OLED profile in the world.”

light photon | philippe starck | flos | 2012

“here’s a limited edition from flos by philippe starck called the ‘light photon’ which celebrates flos’s 50th anniversary and boasts the world’s largest OLED screen and a reflective back that distributes light on one side and reflects light on the other. only five produced till now. it’s limited to 500 pieces and luminaire is representing the first five pieces available in the U.S.”

the event will start in six hours and this looks to be the last bit of carpentry | stickbulb | rux | 2012

“here’s a collection from new york-based design studio rux, their ‘stickbulb’ lamp which are LED pieces that are inserted into reclaimed wood from a boardwalk in new jersey and quite environmentally friendly. ‘stickbulb’ is only available at luminaire for the time being.” [designapplause] thank you doug.

ciclotte | luca schieppati | 2010

luca schieppati took his ciclò — a concept bike that the milan design museum liked enough to include in its permanent collection—and transformed it into an exercise machine, ‘ciclotte’. push the pedals and the epicycloid crank system spins the magnetized main wheel. manufactured using materials like carbon, steel and fiberglass, the personal workout system incorporates a unique epicycloids transmission system. this in turn generates a magnetic field and plenty of thigh-burning resistance. the bikes appearance at design+world is the U.S. debut.

a dining room table caught our eye | metalico | piero lissoni | porro | 2012

the second floor in the lab shows paola lenti, citterio, lissoni, urquiola, dordoni, NEULAND, francisco rota,..,,,

nendo speaks for the design world

[ luminaire vitals ]
the lab is 10 years old, six years in its present location. this installation is the 77th dating back to 1979. there has been an installation for all eight design miami’s. luminaire will celebrate its 39th anniversary march 2013. [ luminaire ] [ online store ]

Luminaire: design+world. Design miami 2012.

Nov 30, 2012

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event> design + world
date > 6 december 2012 | 6 > 9p
venue > luminaire lab | 3901 ne 2nd avenue | miami

an exhibition debuting products from brands flos, luceplan, wastberg and blackbody. new works from oki sato of nendo, piet stockman’s and studio rux. [ details ]

Best upcycle: nendo for coca-cola.

Nov 7, 2012

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By now we’re all familiar with the array of lovely, upcycled glass wine bottles cut and repurposed as vases, carafes, decanters, etc. Japanese design powerhouse, Nendo, took the idea one step further with their recent collaboration with Coca-Cola, which they debuted a few days ago at Design Tide Tokyo.

The five-piece dishware set is handblown in northern Japan from recycled glass Coke bottles. Though the glass isn’t cut from larger bottles, the design of the dishes mimics that cut mark and also references the bottle’s shape, with the circle of dimples on the bottom. We’re not soda drinkers, but we love the glass’ greenish hue and the way it looks on a table, as well as the slight imperfections that come with handmade objects, like the air bubbles.

images courtesy designboom

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Bird apartment treehouse. Nendo.

Oct 29, 2012

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With winter fast approaching birdhouses have caught my eye.[ Nendo ] has designed a bird apartment house for the Momofuku Ando Center, an organization promoting increased access to nature. The house has 78 nest spaces. A little unique in concept is this birdhouse also accommodates one person to keep tabs on the birds from inside the house. The access for this person is on the backside of the birdhouse. Video surveillance presumably not an option.

In Chicago along the lakefront there are many multi-family bird houses. They seem very popular and fully occupied. These homes are raised and lowered via a rope and a crank.

Max phillips: design for a chubby world.

Aug 10, 2012

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Max Phillips wholeheartedly embraced the archetypal Japanese aesthetic when he interned for Metaphys in Osaka and Nendo in Tokyo after completing his BA in furniture and product design at Nottingham Trent University. His Mizu chair, for example, is so minimal it’s almost non-existent. Constructed from a single sheet of clear acrylic, Mizu ‘s joint-free, “barely there” frame is designed to be more than unobtrusive, it blends completely into the background. “When viewed face on,” Phillips says, “the chair disappears into its surroundings, leaving only the visible trace of its steel supports.”

It’s part of Phillips’ personal brand strategy, something he calls POCHA POCHA, which translates into “slightly chubby” in Japanese. To Phillips it means designing “simple, thoughtful products that bring balance to the ‘chubby’ world we live in.” Another of Phillip’s antidotes to our chubby world is his lovely set of desk objects, three white circular containers that only reveal their contents when you pick them up, a motion that triggers a piece of “switchable glass” that changes from opaque to transparent (you can watch a video of it in action). Phillips has designated one container as a clock, another as a light and the third is left up to you. The three desk objects are quite charming, and I’d really love to see Phillips apply the switchable glass in other products as well.

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