about the book title Utopia Forever subtitle Visions of Architecture and Urbanism category Architecture editors R. Klanten, L. Feireiss features full color, flexicover pages size 256 24 × 28 cm price € 44 (D) £ 40 $ 68 isbn 978-3-89955-335-2 An exploration of utopias and radical approaches to city planning—the predominant themes in contemporary architecture. A map of the world that does not include Utopia is not worth even glancing at, for it leaves out the one country at which Humanity is always landing. —Oscar Wilde The cities in which we live today are unfortunately not the cities that we need for a humane and sustainable tomorrow. Societies and politicians are desperately looking for solutions and ideas for the urban areas of the future. That is why the development and discussion of utopias are—next to sustainability—the most current topics in contemporary architecture. We have learned from the 1960s and 1970s that utopian visions are one of the most important catalysts for fundamental change. Modern wind farms for generating energy, for example, were initially contemplated at that time and are now permanent fixtures in our landscapes. Utopia Forever is a collection of current projects and concepts from architecture, city planning, urbanism, and art that point beyond the restrictions of the factual to unleash the potential of creative visions. In contrast to the largely ideal-theoretic approaches of the past, today’s utopias take the necessity for societal changes into account. The projects in this book explore how current challenges for architecture, mobility, and energy as well as the logistics of food consumption and waste removal can be met. Whether created by established architects and artists or new talents, the projects in Utopia Forever are radically shaping our notions of life in the future. 55
Signat SignatUre www.deSignhOtelS.cOm/ americanO rOOmS addreSS 56 10001 New York UNiteD StateS rateS USD 375 – USD 695 Open 03/2011 United StateS New York CitY new about the books 518 weSt 27th Street HôTeL L A AMeRICANo New York City A decade after bringing a distinctly high design sensibility to cities and resorts in their native Mexico, Carlos Couturier and Moises Micha are tackling an entirely different market: New York City. With their new Hôtel Americano, located in the middle of Chelsea’s art gallery district, the partners are celebrating both their love of contemporary art and their passion for Manhattan. “We want to tell a story about Latin America and New York. A New Yorker is always an Americano, because they live in a city where they have to adapt all the time. Set in a former parking garage, the Hôtel Americano has a cool industrial Manhattan veneer but a warm Latin soul. The 56-room hotel features decidedly Mexican touches, like an outdoor rooftop pool that becomes a hot tub in winter, along with very New York-style details like iPads in every room that are full of recommendations for the best local galleries, restaurants and shops. Hôtel Americano has two restaurants and bars, as well as locally-produced bicycles guests can use to explore the High Line and Hudson River Park. “New York can be overwhelming for visitors. In our hotel, guests feel safe, and they feel comfortable,” says Micha. “We have this Latin American approach, so that you’ll feel the warmth.” 064 065 title The Design Hotels Books Limited Collector’s Edition <strong>2012</strong> Porcelain, Glass and Ceramics UNITED KINGDOM OPEN LONDON 01/1978 SIGNATURE WWW.DESIGNHOTELS.COM/ BLAKES_HOTEL ADDRESS 33 ROLAND GARDENS LONDON SW7 3PF UNITED KINGDOM Fragiles 193 4 subtitle editor categories Style, Architecture The Design Hotels Made by Originals Book is the perfect opportunity for those who are interested in learning more about the inspiring people behind these unique design hotels. This book introduces select individuals who explain how they make their distinct properties thrive. The behind- about the book Fragiles is an eclectic collection of unconventional contemporary work in porcelain, glass, and ceramics. Today, these materials are increasingly being used in playful ways by both established and emerging design talents who are inspired by modernism, an ironic depiction of kitsch, and an title ROOMS 47 RATES GBP 195 – GBP 1395 084 085 Design Hotels features 850 isbn BLAKES HOTEL London If you ever needed reassurance that the spirit of adventure is alive and well, even in the center of London, Blakes is it. Designed by former Bond girl Anouska Hempel, now known globally for her striking interior designs, this recently multimillion pound refurbished South Kensington couture hotel is a world of grandeur and exoticism. Behind the black Victorian façade, you’ll nd a tantalizing fusion of eastern and western styles. Polished mirrors bounce rich walnut tones around the lobby, creating a sense of decadence and theater, while the critically acclaimed subterranean restaurant attracts some of the world’s most famous movie stars, actors and designers. Each of the 47 refurbished guest rooms at Blakes takes inspiration from a different far-off land. There’s the immaculate Corfu Suite, which centers around a tall four-poster swathed in romantic pure-white muslin, and the Empress Josephine Suite, where opulent shades of ebony and gold shroud the tented bed. TVs, telephones and iPod docks by Bang & Olufsen make it possible for every room to function as a self-contained hideaway. And with staff placing a special emphasis on respecting guests’ privacy, even the luscious shared courtyard feels secluded and cocoon-like. As Hempel herself says, ‘Blakes is a world within a hotel. It exudes luxury with imagination, and combines ne living with a sense of theatre and panache’. So when you step from the leafy streets near Harrods and into the hush of these converted Victorian townhouses, as celebrities have been doing since the seventies, you’re not just entering one of the world’s most legendary hotels. You’re becoming part of its story. 24 × 32 cm 978-3-89955-427-4 the-scenes interviews take an insightful look at their creative processes as well as the travel and leisure industry today. The book is only available in an exclusive limited collector’s edition together with The Design Hotels Book: Edition <strong>2012</strong>. signature www.designhotels.Com/ lone rooms address 253 A. SmAREgliA bb 52210 Rovinj CRoAti Ati A A rates EUR 186 – EUR 2 open 10/2011 Croatia Rovinj HOTeL L L LONe Rovinj The ancient woodlands and wave-lapped coves of Croatia’s Adriatic coast have long been attracting sun-hungry tourists, leaving business travelers with no choice but to seek refuge elsewhere. Now though, after years of meticulous planning, there’s a proper design-focused place for them to stay in. Wrapped by the lofty emerald trees of the Zlatni Rt forest, and marked out by seductive minimalist curves, Hotel Lone is a conference hotel with a difference. Owned by Croatian hotel company Maistra Inc. and just a 10-minute walk from one of the most picturesque towns on the Mediterranean, Rovinj, it bends away from the coastline in a distinctive Y-shape, which means all 253 rooms and suites have views of the island-speckled coastline. Some of the hotel’s ten huge meeting rooms benefit from this unusual profile, too, with high ceilings and wide spaces giving guests the freedom to think and ruminate. Delicate wafts of locally grown rosemary, lavender and olive oil tempt guests into the Mediterranean-inspired wellness spa, while the open-plan lobby – bedecked in mirrors and cool white stones – allows the outstanding natural beauty of the surrounding area to flood inside. 088 089 R. Klanten, S. Ehmann, S. Grill 280 24 × 30 cm isbn 978-3-89955-208-9 Marcel Wanders Since his visionary Knotted Chair for Droog Design in 1 6, every single specimen I design. But why not spend a minute Dutch designer Marcel Wanders has barely enjoyed a moment’s instead — and create something equally special? pause. Yet despite a steady string of projects, awards, and teach- This is the idea behind my one-minute sculptures and ing assignments, from Bizazza bathroom furniture to consumer one-minute paintings. I start out with a prefabricated object, appliances, Wanders places great emphasis on a healthy balance something mass-produced and available to as many people as between commercial commissions and his own, personal pur- possible, then turn myself into part of the production process, suits. His irreverent takes on delftware, in particular, caused into the machine — to add that important personal touch. a great stir — and controversy. Intense and intensely beautiful, these strong, iconic pieces offer an inspired commentary on the How did the series evolve over time? seductive tension between immediacy and tradition. Considering the staggering range of different projects you’ve instigated, from products and interiors to art and teaching, is there a unifying factor? Naturally, every project starts from a different premise. With commercial commissions, it tends to be the client who states a specific need. But as soon as we start, it comes down to the core values of what we, as a studio, want to achieve. Basically, there are two crucial criteria before we even start on a project: does it resonate with our values and does it add something tangible to the world? To us, it is imperative that our work convey passion and humanism and, at the same time, reflect the needs of our time. The world today faces very specific challenges and requires very different solutions to those of our parents. Anything we create should reflect these current challenges; otherwise, we simply do not see the point in doing them now! Could you explain the reasoning behind your one-minute delftware series? First of all, they’re part of my Personal Edition — I make them myself and they are very near and dear to me. As an industrial designer, I’m constantly reminded of what we can lose in production because of the industrial processes involved, the automation. Objects tend to be more sterile and impersonal than, say, 200 years ago. On the other hand, if I want to reach a lot of people, I can’t spend an entire day on 1 2 At some point, I tried to involve someone else, but it simply din’t work. Out of a hundred pieces, I could still tell which one was mine. In addition, I soon discovered that the larger pieces were far more difficult to accomplish within one minute — my hands are only so big! So, for a new series, I changed my approach and threw away all the brushes. Nowadays, I only use my hands, which Next adds thing a different I know, flavour people to are the telling pieces. me about these ceramic guns and bombs at the Venice Biennale — Antonio’s Italian Did they majolica turn guns, out the not way mine! you At expected? the time, I How was obviously do people jealous, react but when now they many see them artists for are the using first time? gun imagery because war and terrorism are part of the zeitgeist. And it’s important for ceramics Delft to blue have is something conceptual the artists average and person designers really who loves. use In this their medium mind, as it well conjures as potters. up something Their input that helps is very to break delicate, down beauti- the barriers ful, and between crafted, craft yet and here, fine it art. conveys a very different energy. The decision to spend only one minute on each piece makes them How really do intense you finance and powerful. your creations The finished and indulgences? objects thrive on their intense polarity — between classic and modern, fragile and rough, I’ve always unsubtle sold and what sophisticated. I make in galleries, To me, shops, this contrast and now is on the very internet. extreme I and don’t very own beautiful. much except Surprisingly the tools enough, of my trade even — no people house, who have no car, been no collecting wife, no children. traditional I’m delftware certainly for not years rich, but have because shown great I don’t interest need another because job they besides see my them art, as I’m a considered new direction. a success Other in people America. find themselves overwhelmed by their raw power — you simply cannot see them and not be affected! difficult ones for artists. The media treats everyone like celebrities, but they prefer the young to the old. I’ve discovered my own fountain of youth. It’s the word ‘fuck’ — I use it sixteen times in every sentence. 4 3 6 56 full color, hardcover, two volumes in carton set pages size price subtitle editors category Product Design release July € 69.90 {D} £ 60 $ 99 features full color, hardcover pages size price € 44 {D} £ 40 $ 69 expanded repertoire of forms made possible by technological developments such as rapid prototyping. The spectrum and quality of these innovative projects shows a current generation of designers just how relevant and challenging working with these traditional fragile materials can be. 1 ‘Porcelain War Museum Project’ (selection) (1999–2008) (ongoing ceramic arsenal) Material: Hand-painted earthenware and porcelain with ceramic decals Edition: One-offs 5 2 Porcelain War Museum Project – ‘Petite Versaille Thompson Sub Machine Gun’ (2007) Material: Hand-painted porcelain with ceramic decals Edition: Unlimited one-off 3 Disasterware ‘Darkness in Delft Series’ (1994) Material: Hand-painted porcelain plate with gold lustre Edition: 1 of 12 (one-offs) 4 Disasterware ‘Dresden 1945’ (Series B) (2007) Material: Hand-painted porcelain with ceramic decal Edition: 50 pieces 5 Jack Rabbit Target Torpedo (2006) Without You an once audience, described there yourself is no theatre. as ‘the oldest promising young (based on a poster design by Filastine) Material: Hand-painted earthenware artist in the Pacific Northwest’ — do we detect a hint of bitter- Edition: One-off sweet irony? 6 ‘Journey Into the Bright World’ (2007) Material: Hand-painted porcelain Edition: One-off [opposite] No, this is a joke about youth culture. I simply don’t under- Personal Editions, Milan (2007) Producer: All pieces produced by Villa Delirium Delft Works stand it! In the contemporary art world, you’re either young Credits: Photo by Inga Powilleit, Credits: Photos by Dan Walter (fig. 1, 3, 4), Stolenspace styling and by Tatyana famous, Quax or famous and dead. The in-between years are the London (fig. 2), and Richard Nicole (fig. 5, 6) 230 231
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