Design Anthology, Asia Edition #24

Our planet is on the brink of an irreversible catastrophe, and the side you take in the anthropogenic global warming debate seems irrelevant. I say this because there’s no arguing that the vast majority of us are over-consuming: plastics, products, packaging, petroleum, animal protein… the list goes on. We’re consuming finite fossil fuels when our governments and private industry should be investing in and promoting clean renewable energy sources. We’re filling islands and swathes of once-pristine land with waste and landfill. The way most of us are living is simply not sustainable. I’ve always been an advocate for buying well and buying less, a principle I hope is evident in the pages of every issue we publish. In this issue we take a look at small spaces, density and treading more…

Minotti, Xi’an Italian furniture brand Minotti has inaugurated a brand-new flagship store in Xi’an. This newest location is its seventh in China, strengthening the brand’s presence in the country. Spanning two floors, the expansive mono-brand store was conceived by Minotti Studio, the brand’s creative department. Located in the tony Daminggong Residential District, the store aims to offer context-driven experiences of Minotti’s latest collections. minotti.com Rimadesio, Seoul The Italian producer of high-tech furniture continues its expansion in Asia with its latest store in Seoul, following openings across China, Japan, South East Asia and India. Located in the fashionable Gangnam district, the new store showcases and retails systems for living and sleeping areas, accessories, tables and doors. rimadesio.it Tom Dixon, Hangzhou Iconic British designer Tom Dixon’s eponymous brand has recently opened its first stand-alone store in mainland China, in…

Ladies & Gentlemen Studio × Vera & Kyte Multidisciplinary Brooklyn-based Ladies & Gentlemen Studio has collaborated with Norwegian design duo Vera & Kyte on the new Krane lighting collection. ‘Working over long distance via email and conference calls, we came to discover our Pacific Northwest roots are closely entangled with Nordic influences,’ says the pair behind Ladies & Gentlemen. The outcome is a beautifully simple design that challenges the traditional lighting archetypes while remaining versatile. The collection comprises two configurations, both produced by boutique manufacturer Roll & Hill. ladiesandgentlemenstudio.com / vera-kyte.com /rollandhill.com PELLE New York studio PELLE was founded by designer couple Jean and Olivier Pelle, both trained architects who combine artistic expression and architectural precision in their work. New from the duo is the tripodal DVN table, which is fabricated from solid blocks…

A Decade of Design Wanderlust by Domisilium Studio (SiMPUL) Indonesian design duo Santi Alaysius and Hamphrey Tedja established Domisilium Studio in 2009 (see page 46), and published this book in celebration of the studio’s first decade. While it’s largely project-focused, the work contains conversations with the firm’s collaborators, descriptions of the two (each written by the other) and their working process, and even a feature on their cats. The treatment is both informative and whimsical, with a stream of handwritten notes and musings providing colour alongside playful doodles. Domisilium’s work is characterised by wit as well as intelligence, and the book is a personal celebration of both. AA Women in Architecture 1917–2017 edited by Elizabeth Darling & Lynne Walker (AA Publications) This book is the keystone of AAXX 100, a project celebrating the centenary of women’s…

Design Anthology: How did you first meet? CHEN AND WEI: We met fifteen years ago, when we were both working in Taipei. Hung-Ming was an industrial designer in the electronics field and Chen-Yen was an assistant fashion designer. Though our companies had nothing in common, our offices were in the same industrial zone. Our mutual friends, a newlywed couple who were our respective colleagues at the time, introduced us in 2004. That’s where our story began. How did you end up living and working in Stockholm? We moved to Sweden in 2006, when we were in our mid-twenties. The main reason we came here was so Hung-Ming could study at Konstfack. We thought of it as a sort of two-year honeymoon. We were actually quite naive and didn’t think too much about it…

Young Korean ceramicist Yoon Seokhyeon has created a set of tableware that combines refinement with an organic appearance. An alumnus of Design Academy Eindhoven, Yoon’s 2019 graduate collection, titled Ott / Another Paradigmatic Ceramic, was a set of ceramic tableware with a rare, sober beauty. The concept behind the set is as simple as it is genius: apply a traditional Korean lacquer — once used for wood — rather than a conventional glaze. ‘During my studies in the Academy’s Well-Being department, I was taught to reflect on durability and sustainability. With ceramics being my starting point, I started to reconsider the glazing,’ Yoon says. ‘While clay is such a natural product, the glazing is often quite the opposite, especially the orange and red versions, which contain heavy metals and can be…