An iconic design by renowned architect Warren Platner in 1974. The airy interior is set by the oak columns branching into layered flower canopies that is both decorative and functional. The pink velvet upholstery and brass lamps complete the look with beautiful contrasts.
Rudolf Steiner’s second Goetheanum, completed in 1928, is situated in the mountainous region of Dornach, Switzerland, Steiner’s first Goetheanum was completed in 1919 and comprised primarily of sculpted wood. but after only a few years, it burned down by arson. Steiner designed the second Goetheanum as an illustration of ‘a new style of architecture. it represents a pioneering use of visible concrete in architecture, particularly in its achievement of sculptural shapes on an architectural scale.
Maison de Verre (House of Glass), a live/work house built bewteen 1928 to 1932 in Paris for Dr. Jean Dalsace, is a masterpiece of 20th-century modernist architecture. The design was a collaboration bewteen Pierre Chareau (lead architect and interior designer), Bernard Bijvoet (architect) and Louis Dalbet (metal craftsman). Much of the intricate moving scenery of the house was designed on site as the project developed. The beautiful interior of house is unique for the wonderful uses of various industrial materials and custom mechanical fixtures juxtaposed with traditional home furnishings all illuminated by the dramatic light glowing through the translucent glass-block façade.
Celebrated British artist, David Shrigley, has transformed the gallery at Sketch as part of a long-term programme of artist-conceived restaurants. India Mahdavi, who has created a backdrop for David Shrigley’s artwork, conceived a soothing, monochromatic, strikingly comprehensive interior. The classic, almost bourgeois design invites a deliberately playful contrast with the witty, outré art works; all is most certainly not what it seems. While matching sketch’s delight in the avant-garde, this harmonious vibe breaks with the Gallery’s usual eclecticism.
House for an Industrialist, Shenzhen, 2009. This interior renovation of a 700 m² villa embodies new ideas about craft, geometry, and ornament. Installations on the ceilings, floors, and walls are built up of custom-fabricated repetitive elements: sculptural ceramic tiles, anodized aluminum branches, lacquered hardwood spindles, marble floor tiles, woven rattan panels… hundreds of these elements are arranged in non-repetitive patterns. The visitor's experience unfolds musically as he or she explores the space. One theme that emerges is the dome: from the entry vestibule to the most private spaces, various types of domes are encountered. One goal of the project was to demonstrate the high skill level of Chinese craftspeople.
Casa Mollino remained a mystery until after the death of the designer in 1973. Only in 1999 did it pass into the hands of Ferrari, who has a similarly diverse background to Mollino, having been a chemist, restaurateur and design dealer. With the help of the meticulous inventory of the property made by Mollino’s lawyers, he was able to recreate the original appearance of the apartment and open it to the public by appointment. While renovating the interiors, Ferrari discovered the cover of a book by Mollino, titled Il Messaggio Dalla Camera Oscura (‘The Message from the Dark Room’), depicting the head of an Egyptian queen. This reference to Egyptian funerary art became the key to decoding a series of symbols, which suggest Mollino’s project was conceived in the manner of a Pharaoh’s pyramid, as an intended final resting place.
