Design Festival
Chipperfield Architects and Arup’s materials consulting specialists; it features as part of Size + Matter at the Southbank Centre. Standing 3.6 metres
high, Two Lines is a series of independent glass planes interlocking via a glass roof. The
connections are mainly adhesive joints so the wind loading on the structure was scrutinized to avoid failure, particularly due to lateral frequency.
Two Lines was designed in the UK and constructed by Bellapart (Spain); it combines structural glass from BGT (Germany) with a new type of mesh from SEFAR (Switzerland) alongside a SentryGlas interlayer from DuPont (Worldwide). The installation is therefore very much a global collaboration of design, expertise and craftsmanship.
Felix Weber from Arup described the project as “changing the way glass is normally expected to appear”. The main material behind this architectural adaptation is the mesh by SEFAR called Architecture Vision. This mesh has a single-sided metal coating (Aluminium or Copper) and is embedded in the laminated glass to create a screen that simultaneously allows light to permeate it and reflect off it, creating a natural, iridescent feel. Felix Weber also mentioned that Two Lines’ challenge was marrying “elegance of detail with speed of installation”. Working closely with architect Trent Davis, the project was well thought through using “repetition as a theme” to keep costs down and quality high.
I should also say that these weren’t the only structural exhibits I saw and Inflate was displaying its inflatable structures, which if you haven’t seen them before are amazing.
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There are many clever technologies behind the structures, such as the use of centrifugal fans which are not only very quiet but can rapidly inflate one of the structures, meaning there are hardly any construction costs.
Product
Out of all the products I saw across the design festival, two of my favourites were both from the 100% Design expo. Italian product designers FRED & FRED showcased an elegant optical technology PICT, which involves a glass block incorporating 16 lenses and a frosted screen. The optical glass harnesses light, either natural or from LEDs hidden in the block’s perimeter, and creates stunning images through the lenses. The blocks form the basis of a unique modular wall system that requires no adhesive producing an effortless partition perfect for luxury architectural spaces. PICT was awarded the 2011 Red Dot Design Award and is already becoming a popular installation in high end interior design.
Morph in Design is the workshop of Frederic Verdys, who is using his experience with resins and polymers to experiment beyond the traditional uses of these materials. Philosoeuf is a 2m high fibreglass ovoid that serves as a library and/or shelving system; however, personally I think the item’s charm lies in its beautifully crafted shape and glossy finish. The other Morph in Design product on show was also ovoid shaped and albeit smaller was equally interesting. Ovo is essentially a magazine rack but with a pincer type design and with high quality finishes available including gold leaf, it captures the eye immediately which is most likely its intention. I have to say Ovo did indeed function very well, capturing with ease all manner of literature that is posted into it.
Graphic/Photography/Art Probably the largest gallery exhibition I have
ever been to, ‘Postmodernism: Style and Subversion 1970-1990’ was very impressive, encapsulating the art, design and architecture of this radical period of modern history. For over an hour I meandered through a labyrinth of more than 250 bold and exuberant items, displayed chronologically with exhibits sorted by their field (eg sculpture) and design movement (eg bricolage), all complete with clear explanations.
One of my favourite pieces was Ron Arad’s Concrete Stereo which is a brilliant metaphor for the crossover between engineering and industrial/technological design that was emerging throughout the 70’s and 80’s. Continuing in the same vein, original Peter Saville Hacienda posters were on display, showcasing a warped industrial design language that paved the way for many future designers. There were also various films and photography interjecting the exhibits, such as Blade Runner with its hybrid of dystopian set design and futuristic technology.
Visiting the London Design Festival gave me a lot of inspiration in terms of design and engineering. Most of all it has reinforced my desire to work in the design industry and to quote Daniel Charny, guest curator of Power of Making “it is simply a delight to be able to shape a material and say ‘I made that’”. If you would like to see more of my trip to the London Design Festival, please visit www.
RedItem.com.
Imag es courtesy of Richar d Entwistle and Arup.
A theme of this year’s festival was to push a material to its limits and I think that’s what the Timber Wave does
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