I am proud to annouce that Soba, presented for the first time in 2009 as a prototype at Salone Satellite in Milano, will now be launched by Spanish company PCM Design at the Maison & Objet fair in Paris (20.-24. january 2012). Come and check it out at Now! Design à vivre Hall 8 stand B31.
Megaweave: project designed during the workshop led by Giulio Iacchetti for Sampietro
outdoor seating made of interlaced forged iron bars, Ø75 h 40
We all know “Weaving” as a technique commonly used in textiles in which two distinct groups of threads running vertically and horizontally are interlaced to form a fabric. In fact the horizontal threads typically weave their way under and over the vertical threads.
With “Weber” ,meaning weaver in German, as a surname I am naturally interested in this age-old technique and so it has Sampietro is based in the district area of Como, an area famously known for some of the finest weaves, woven from fine silk threads. So I chose to work with the other extreme and used a 2 cm profile iron bar instead of the hair-fine silk.
The forgers of Sampietro turned into temporary weavers and used the malleability of the red hot iron to translate the textile technique into giant scale, interlacing horizontal and vertical bars. At the same time the 2 cm profiles were worked with the force of a hammer and fine-tuned skill into 7cm ribbons to create a comfortable seating surface. Unlike textile fibers however which remain soft, the iron bars when cooled down magically return rigid and form a very sturdy structure. With only six interlaced iron loops and a lot of skill and sweat the Megaweave seating is formed.
With this workshop Sampietro has given us a great opportunity to get acquainted and play with the endless possibilities of forged iron, many of which impossible to realize with industrial techniques. Their challenge to us designers was to break out of the “forged iron clichés” and find a contemporary key for this age-old technique. Our challenge to them was to forge the seemingly impossible and I think they have succeeded with bravura.
In January I got a call from Giulio Iacchetti inviting me to participate at a workshop with Sampietro. Sampietro is a company specialized in forged iron and they had thought of involving a few designers to find the contemporary key to their antique craft. I was very happy to accept because it was a new opportunity to reinforce the relationship between crafts and design. Infact we had many encounters together and Sampietro even gave us the chance to try hammering the iron ourselves. We came up with a series of objects which demonstrate the unbelievable skill of the craftsmen. Come and visit the result of our workshop at the Triennale in Milano (29.11.2011 – 08.01.2012)
Please find here the interview by Giulio Iacchetti on the project
Lago has asked me and Domenico Diego to design an installation to display their new experimental sinks … all made in folded sheetmetal and one even in Tyvek. We had to find a way to bring together the very different looking Lago products and the new products of their partners: so the new bathtubs of Glas, recycled glass mosaic by Trend and the innovative sheets of gres by Ceramiche Lea. We divided the products into 5 groups relating them to 5 themes liked to the bathroom: sharing, looking after yourself, playing, healing and looking at your self. Since all projects were either work-in-progress or very innovative we chose to arrange the exhibition as a large 3-D sketchbook. All the writings where done by pencil on the walls. The show was completed with graphic research by Guido Robazza, computer animations by Robin Rizzini and the Jellyfishfarm by Studiomobile from Venice.
RE-DESIGN BATHROOM
Location: via Brera, 30, Milano
Time: Salone del Mobile 2011, Milano
client: Lago Spa and partners (Glas + Virtaa, Trend, Ceramiche Lea)
Exhibition design: Dunja Weber + Domenico Diego
Photography: Mariangela Calbi
a group of 5 SOFTLUX has been sent off to the first Beijing International Design Triennal. They will be part of the exhibition called “GOOD GUYS” curated by Holzer Kobler Architekturen, Zurich. The exhibition takes place in the National Museum of China in Beijing (28.09 -17.10. 2011)
Images from the setting up of the exhibition. We’ll keep you posted as soon as we have more images
After a successful launch of the LUXLUXLUX lamp collection at the Salone Satellite in Milan the collection is now exhibited in the showroom Wohnflex of Beatrice Suter Baviera in Zürich. The floor and table lamp SOFTLUX, now also available as wall lamp, becomes the carrying structure for new experiments with transparency, structure, colour and light achieved trough the use of natural as well as technical yarns and different knitting techniques. The result are 12 one-off lamps with 12 very different characters.
Inspired by the continously changing chiaro scuro of clouds the collection plays with overlapping layers of transparent delicately coloured nylon veils, soft cash-wool, silver and irisé yarns as well as paper and raffia yarns. With the energy-saving light source placed behind these layers the textile object comes to life.
As for all lamps of the LUXLUXLUX lamp collection the textile of SOFTLUX requires no cutting nor sewing. The fabric takes already its final shape during the knitting process integrating from the start the double layer (i.e. nylon and lycra) and the channels through which the metal structure passes.
Softlux
45 cm x 25 cm
textile: various
structure: powdercoated wire and corian base
photography: Eliane Ruthishauser, Zürich
Based on the model SOFTLUX we continued experimenting with transparency, structure, colour and light. The result are 12 one-off lamps with 12 different characters.
Opening: December 4th 2010 from 11:00. We are looking forward to seeing you!
WOHNFLEX
Asylstrasse, 68
CH-8032 Zürich
T.: +41 (0) 44 383 27 57
www.wohnflex.ch
wohnflex@bluewin.ch
Opening times
tuesday to friday
10-13 and 15-18.30
saturday, 10-14
In occasion of the Milano Design Weekend 2010, Cerruti Baleri celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Caprichair designed by Hannes Wettstein with several one-off pieces by designers and creatives related to the brand. Dunja Weber and Cécile Feilchenfeldt interpret the armchair with “Caprice” a transparent dress in nylon and lycra realized in tubular knit.
The world we live in seems to transform more and more into a virtual world. Not so long ago people sent letters now we send e-mails, people paid with coins now we use creditcards. But as a team of a product designer and a textile designer we are hopelessly tied to materials and manufacturing processes. In this sense “Caprice” is a material approach to obtain a sense of immateriality. The transparent nylon yarn which is practically invisible forms a volume and takes shape through layering. Depending on the viewing angle and lighting this volume changes from opaque to transparent, remaining however always a volume with fading and contiously changing edges. Difficult to define just like the world we live in.
The Cerruti Baleri is in via Felice Cavallotti, 8 in Milano. The exhibition will continue until december 2010. For more information click here Cerruti Baleri
This year at the Salone Satellite I have presented together with my friend and knitwear designer Cécile Feilchenfeldt a collection of lamps. All detailed information can be found on the dedicated website luxluxlux.com. And an interview with both of us has been published on domusweb.
Here a few beautiful photographs done by Ezio Manciucca.
Goodlux and Sweetlux are made of tubular knit which is dressed around a single metal ring. The sophisticated use of the different qualities of the yarns used (nylon and lycra) creates volume and light diffusion where needed. Both lamps become extremely flat for transport.
Softlux is a table lamp. The fabric takes already its final shape during the knitting process integrating from the start the double layer (nylon and lycra) and the channels through which the metal structure passes. Again no cutting or sewing.
Superlux and MInilux are made of 3 metal rings which are connected only through the knitted fabric. In fact because of the folds and the rigidity of the yarn used the fabric itself becomes structural. This means that the lamps can take the form of a ball when hung but become flat during shipping.
Superlux / Minilux glow as shown on the image above keep on glowing when switched off due to the special glow yarn knitted into the fabric.
Working like hell to get everything ready for the Salone Satellite. So please be patient – I will upload the images of the new lamp collection as soon as I have a minute. So please visit again.
Please find below the invite with the events in which I participate.
