Interior Interior Sep/Nov 2018

The chasm between narrative and form – be it architectural, interior, furniture or product – seems to be growing. The desire to express a project’s theoretical merits through a lens of branding/marketing, or by seeking commercial or award gains sometimes forces connections between projects and story lines about their ethos or origins. This disconnect seems to be more common in recent times when what crosses my desk are perfectly functional and human interior spaces; projects with just the right amount of spatial tension; or industrial designs all being described through lofty ideas of history and context, or packaged in narratives that are tenuously (if at all) related to the end result. Is this a case of the emperor’s new clothes? Are we wrapping some of our built projects in descriptions…

TRACEY INGRAM Writer The former managing editor of Frame, Tracey is a freelance writer and editor based in Amsterdam. She was raised in New Zealand where she studied spatial design. WHAT WAS IT THAT MOST IMPRESSED YOU ABOUT THE EL EQUIPO CREATIVO TEAM? El Equipo Creativo basically reinvented the look of hospitality projects in Barcelona. Now that they’re branching out into other areas, I’m excited to see the outcomes. BARCELONA IS FULL OF BEAUTIFUL DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE. DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE BUILDING OR SPACE? When I first visited Barcelona around eight years ago, I was all about the famous Gaudís. And while Sagrada Família, Park Güell and the rest are must-sees, I now enjoy grabbing a drink on a roof terrace with a view or finding a small local…

This year’s Interior Awards gala event at Auckland’s St Matthew-in-the-City was a celebration of the country’s top commercial interiors and design professionals. Almost 400 guests attended the boisterous party, where the winners and overall Supreme Winner were announced across the Awards’ 10 categories. MCs for the evening, Jackie van Beek and partner Jesse Griffin, brought their trademark humour to the proceedings while beverage partners Mt Difficulty Wines, McCleod’s Brewery and Victor Gin ensured glasses were well-charged and at the ready for the many toasts. Congratulations, once again, to all of our winners for your incredibly inspirational, well-crafted work. interiorawards.co.nz…

Held in Amsterdam for 2018, the Inside Festival of Interiors is a three-day event celebrating the best interiors, and interior design and architecture professionals from around the globe. At the heart of the festival are the awards, which recognise amazing interiors across several different categories. Two New Zealand projects previously recognised by the Interior Awards have become finalists in this global contest. Auckland’s Material Creative is a finalist in this year’s Hotel section for Naumi Hotel Auckland Airport. Also short-listed in the Civic, Culture and Transport category is the Interior Awards’ Supreme category winner: Studio Pacific Architecture for He Tohu Document Room in Wellington. The programme includes keynote talks from such icons as Sir David Adjaye and many networking opportunities, live crit sessions and social events. The Inside Festival is…

Australian colour forecaster and stylist Bree Leech spoke to Interior at the Auckland launch of Dulux Colour Forecast 2019. ‘Filter’, the overarching theme behind this year’s colour forecast, is a strong reaction to the barrage of options, decisions and screen time that the digital landscape has forced upon individuals. Leech spoke of this year’s colours as sort of antidotes, able to instil a sense of calm, counteract the glow of screens and more. “There was a lot of discussion about moving away from screens and how some firms are instituting an hour a day when you don’t take calls, you move away from screens and focus on another task. It is very important.” The new range of colours are titled Legacy, Identity, Repair and Wholeself. dulux.co.nz…

In total, 10 designs were created by Cox Architecture, Elenberg Fraser, Warren and Mahoney, Woods Bagot and Zaha Hadid Architects (pictured right) for developer ICD Property’s Federal Street site in the city’s centre. The architects each submitted two designs for the new hotel-residential building: the first following current city planning rules and the second showcasing what could be built with more-liberal planning parameters. Designs ranged from a tower with a sky garden representing the Auckland landscape through to a building façade inspired by a Ma - ori korowai (cloak). The winner will be announced in October. The presentations can be viewed on the ArchitectureNow website. architecturenow.co.nz…