Expresses thearchitect's ability with materials

Tag : sofa materials
If you've always dreamed of owning an architect-designed home buthaven't had the cash it's not the end of the world. Manywell-established architects are now moving their talents away frombuildings and towards objects for the home.
So, although you may not be able to afford a Frank Gehry or NormanFoster-designed abode, owning their kettles, washbasins and chairshas never been easier. The accessibility of these products isbringing the style of big-name architects to the home andintroducing fresh talent to a new audience.
Italian company Cassina ( www.cassina.com ) regularly works with architects when it comes to producing theirfurniture. One of their most recent collaborations on this front iswith Rodolfo Dordoni. The Milan Polytechnic graduate is moreusually kept active with residential projects, industrial buildingsand restaurants, but his work with Cassina, such as his leathersofa (price on application), is easier to get your hands on.
This stretchy, comfortable piece is available with additionalcushions in different sizes. The back cushions have also beenenhanced by feather padding.
Mario Bellini is another architect who has recently collaboratedwith Cassina. A winner of the Compasso d'Oro, Bellini was involvedin the extension of the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourneand the International Fair of Essen. His Bull chair, selling for€750 (HK$9,300) in varnished leather and steel, expresses thearchitect's ability with materials that are sometimes out of thereach of designers, who may have missed out on an industrial-basedbackground. It also defines his eye for the future with its shapelycontours and steel structure.
Cassina CEO Giuliano Moscani comments that works such as this are"informed primarily by their ability to change, evolve andstay in tune with the times".
Although many of today's design companies work regularly witharchitects, this kind of relationship is not as new as you mightthink.
"There has always been a symbiotic relationship betweenarchitecture and design," said a spokesman for the RoyalInstitute of British Architects (Riba). "It is not easy to saywhere one ends and the other begins."
In some cases the work of less-celebrated architects is receivingnew exposure. The late Jean Prouve - a one time contemporary of LeCorbusier - is one example of this. His work is now on the edge ofsomething of a revival, helped by a London-based company picking upon his 20th-century designs and bringing them to the attention of anew audience.
The Parisian-born architect had been involved in creating housingfor the homeless, and schools and prefabs for returning soldiersand refugees after both world wars. The same ethics of comfort andfunctionality are found in his sleek furniture designs.
If you're looking for something durable and simple that won'toverwhelm a room then consider the Standard chair for £376(HK$5,800) or Granito table (£3,008) available from SCP ( www.scp.co.uk ). These minimalist designs are a good starting point for anyonelooking to give their home a spare, uncluttered look and it isgratifying to see the work of the "forgotten Modernist"getting the attention it deserves.
While design companies are sometimes involved in making sureforgotten stars are revived for contemporary audiences, smartmanufacturers are picking the best names in the business.
Gehry is just one such name. He has been involved with Italianhomeware brand Alessi. The same talent that transformed Bilbao froma neglected seaside town in Spain to a world-class resort - thanksto the sweeping curves of his metallic Guggenheim museum - has alsofound time to translate his expressionism into accessories for thehome. His graceful kettle (£225) in mirror-finished steel issleek but the touches of mahogany prevent it from being icy. Youcan also pick up a miniature version for £20.
Another masterstroke from Alessi is the tea and coffee set designedby Hong Kong architect Gary Chang. Fashioned in sterling silver andred Yixing clay from the mainland, the stackable element of the setrecalls the steamers used in Cantonese dim sum restaurants.
The soaring cylindrical design of the set pointedly reflects themodernity of Hong Kong's gleaming skyscrapers, even though theproduct itself is rooted in the ancient Chinese tradition oftea-drinking.
Another manufacturer that has been enlisting the help of architectsis the German company Duravit ( www.duravit.com ). Few innovators have done as much for international architectureas Foster, but somehow he has managed to find the time to design arange of bathroom fittings for the company.
His washbasins and toilets (prices on application) aresophisticated although they are reminiscent of the service industry- hardly surprising from a man more normally associated with ChekLap Kok and London Stansted Airport.
Despite their rather functional look, it's not every day you havethe opportunity to brush your teeth over a sink designed by aPritzker-winning architect. And there can be little doubt thecachet in getting a big-name architect on board will make anyhomeware or design brand stand out.
However, during uncertain economic times it's not difficult to seethat many international architects (historically badly hit duringrecessions) are finding these kinds of collaborations welcomeadditions to their usual work.
Could, in fact, some architectural practices find themselvessustained by such projects in the next few years? The Ribaspokesman comments: "Most architects design buildings ratherthan objects so I doubt their other work will ever sustain thepractice of architecture."
Even so, it's easy to see that these collaborations are likely toincrease, whatever the future economic climate holds.
In the case of Chang's tea set and Bellini's chairs, this can onlybe a good thing for design fans.