Copy
Sep 8 2020
Surface
Design Dispatch
Kvadrat’s ode to knitted textiles, the world’s largest Passive House, and Invader secretly conquers Marseille.
FIRST THIS
“‘Fighting’ is not a bad word—it’s about believing in something and making it happen.”
HERE’S THE LATEST

notification-Transparent_2x

The Unsung Utility of Knitted Textiles

We’re all familiar with knitted textiles in clothing—they feel smooth and soft against our skin thanks to their form-shaping abilities and the way they stretch around the body. “Although knits are well-established in fashion, they were unknown within interior design until a decade ago,” says Renee Merckx, the creative director of textile brand Febrik. “It’s those exact same qualities that draw us to knits in clothing which furniture may also benefit from. Knitted textiles naturally follow form, especially when it comes to upholstering curvy and spherical forms.”

To illustrate the versatility of knitted textiles, Kvadrat enlisted 28 experimental designers to dream up one-of-a-kind objects using the Febrik collection, which the Danish textile brand acquired in 2018. Each object stars in an exhibition, titled “Knit!,” that headlines Copenhagen’s annual 3daysofdesign festival. (The works will also display virtually through December.) The brief, explains Kvadrat’s Njusja de Gier, was simple: “create an object where knitted textiles are the protagonist,” and show that textiles can be used for more than simply upholstering furniture. She further notes that since these aren’t commercial objects, designers had carte blanche—and could use as many textiles as they wanted.

Each designer delivered a mind-bending concept that conveys the novel uses of knitted textiles and pushes boundaries of what can be achieved within their respective disciplines. And in many instances, the objects spotlight their designer’s cultural heritage. Read more.

notification-Transparent_2x

What Else Is Happening?

Check-Circle_2x The historic Aluminaire House finds a permanent home at the Palm Springs Art Museum.
Check-Circle_2x Syracuse’s Everson Museum will sell a Jackson Pollock painting to diversify its collection.
Check-Circle_2x Kuwait’s forthcoming Palace of Justice will be the world’s largest judicial building
Check-Circle_2x ...while the world’s largest Passive House–certified project will soon open in Kansas City.
Check-Circle_2x The French interior designer Christian Liaigre, known for romantic minimalism, dies at 77.
Check-Circle_2x After a restructuring plan, Neiman Marcus will emerge from bankruptcy by September 30.
Check-Circle_2x Ross Barney Architects designs a net-zero McDonald’s flagship store for Disney World.


Have a news story our readers need to see? Submit it here.

PARTNER WITH US

Reach the design world every morning. Find out more about advertising in the Design Dispatch.

ITINERARY

itinerary-Transparent_2x

Farah Atassi: Paintings

When: Until Oct. 3

Where: Almine Rech, Paris

What: Farah Atassi’s latest suite of still life paintings defies categorization, channeling modernist painting, decorative arts, textile motifs, and folk art to create a spirited style that’s distinctly her own. Within each canvas, the Belgian painter constructs a vivid universe populated with Cubist-style female figures, musical instruments, domestic objects, and circus props depicted in colorfully patterned rooms; some recall Mondrian paintings, while others nod to Memphis Milano and Pucci textiles.

SOCIAL

When Anna Devís was growing up in a village near Valencia, Spain, her parents worked as window dressers. She spent hours drawing and painting in their studio as a kid, only to discover a faster, more efficient medium in high school: photography. “I couldn’t always draw the images I had in my mind,” Devís says.

Shortly after meeting her now-boyfriend, photographer Daniel Rueda, in the architecture program at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, they began taking pictures of each other. The pastime has since evolved into a game, where the duo snaps images of themselves around the world. Architecture and landscape often play starring roles in their cheery, natural, light-filled pictures. Each one begins with a sketch: “I carry a notebook everywhere,” Devís says. “Each photograph is really rooted in illustration, only it’s real life.”⁠⠀

DESIGN

notification-Transparent_2x

ICYMI: A Movie Theater Seat for the Covid-19 Era

What would it take to get you back to the movies? For us, it might just be LAYER’s new Sequel Seat. Helmed by Benjamin Hubert, the experience design agency updated the old-fashioned burgundy color palette to a modern one inspired by the midcentury pastels often seen in Wes Anderson films. Though the chair was in development before the onset of Covid-19, its innovations are perfectly suited for a post-pandemic world: antibacterial, popcorn grease–resistant copper threads in the upholstery, removable protective screens, and cutting-edge UV light technology for sterilization.

THE LIST

notification-Transparent_2x

Member Spotlight: Maxalto

Established in 1975, Maxalto is a B&B Italia brand that stands out for the “new classic” flavor of its collections. Blending sophisticated craftsmanship with the most advanced technology, Maxalto has a consolidated wealth of tradition, authenticity, and know-how, and owes its success to the balanced mix of past and present. Its contemporary classic furnishings combine excellent materials, meticulous workmanship, exclusive details, and customized solutions.

Surface Says: Maxalto’s vast range of high-end clients—from Milan’s Bulgari hotel to La Reserve in Paris—speaks to its reputation for quality furnishings. At once classic and contemporary, refined and functional, each of Antonio Citterio’s designs is the result of thoughtful research and a sophisticated sensibility.

AND FINALLY

notification-Transparent_2x

Today’s Attractive Distractions

Renowned interiors photographer Simon Watson releases a monograph.

Yuli Meroz makes an array of eye-catching crafts using raw orange peel.

Camille Walala lends her signature vibrant touch to an East London mural.

The French street artist Invader secretly installs 80 works around Marseille.

               


View in Browser

Copyright © 2020, All rights reserved.

Surface Media
601 W 26th Street, Suite 1507  New York, NY 10001  

Unsubscribe from all future emails