2Modern Design Talk - Modern Furniture & Design Blog

Think Inside the Box

This inverted construction, by the name of Fractal 23, was designed by Japanese designer Takeshi Miyakawa.  My assumption is that the number 23, within the title, stands for 23 various-sized compartments.   Such smart use of space is really useful in urban living quarters,  I wish it was available back when I lived in my tiny West Village apartment.

4th of July Traditions Contest!

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Pontifical Lateran University Library Extension by King Roselli

One would be very surprised to find that the go-ahead for this modern extension of the Vatican University Library was given by none other than the very conservative late Pope John Paul II. There are almost a dozen ecclesiastical Universities in Rome (of course) and there are so many priests there, the library could use an extension. And extend it did! The project was designed by King Roselli architects, and its scope was to amass all 600,000 books of the library strewn all over the campus.

On commissioning the project for the new library extension to the Pontificial Lateran University the chancellor Mons. Rino Fisichella was quite clear in in his main objective: to bring the activity of reading and the consultation of books as the central occupation of the university. The new reading rooms and book stacks for free consultation are enclosed in the new extension placed closer to the heart of the university with access from the main spine of the first floor corridor. The reading rooms are now concentrated in a single volume with access to 70,000 volumes and 750 publications housed in the six floors of book stacks in a fire-protected tower.

Externally, the new building is placed next to a central block of lecture rooms of the “E” shaped plan. Although it is carefully aligned with the existing volume and clad in the same brick, the new block nevertheless assertively declares its modernity in the play of suspended volumes in light and shade.

The library's presence can be perceived from the university; through a series of viewing cones created by joining the window reveals (that once gave on to the exterior) to apertures closed with fire glass in the book stacks. It is entered from the first floor corridor of the main building down a flight of basalt stairs under the first level of the book stacks into a spacious foyer. This is where the locker room, computer indexes-laid on an articulated table, card index, professors reading room and librarians posting are set.

The library is arranged so that for every two floors of book stacks one sloping ramp, "U" shaped in plan, connects them. The book stacks are as low as possible to avoid the use of ladders to reach the highest shelves and, given the thin floor slab, are made look like a set of bookshelves themselves.

They are connected vertically by a staircase set between the containing wall and an interior façade of bookshelves facing the reading ramps dedicated to publications, to form in effect a book tower. The slope of the ramps is  determined by joining the regularly spaced floors of the book stacks to the irregular cuts in the façade which creates the reality (not simply the effect) of volumes floating in light.

These ramps are the reading rooms- they are levelled with mahogany platforms that accommodate the reading tables at the level changes. These are also made of mahogany block-wood and house the up-lights for ambient lighting.

Client:

Pontifical Lateran University
    Chancellor: S.E. Mons. Rino Fisichella

Project:

Library Extension- new reading rooms and direct consultation book stacks +
  Refurbishment of University Auditorium Project

Start:

2003

On site:

January 2004

Completion:

October 2006

Costs:

Building: Euro 7m
  Interiors: Euro 1m

Areas:

Auditorium: 660 m²
  Library Extension: 2000 m²

Design and Architectural Supervision:

Riccardo Roselli, King Roselli Architetti

Project Architect:

Andrea Ricci

Collaborators:

Giandomenico Florio, Ulich Grosse, Christina Hoffmann, Arianna Nobile, Enrica Testi, Katia Scarioni, Toyohiko Yamaguchi.

Structure:

Proges Engineering: Andrea and Pierfrancesco Imbrenda

Service Engineering:

Ovidio Nardi

Electrical Engineering:

Donato Budano

Lighting Design:

iGuzzini, Massimiliano Baldieri 

Site Management:

Vatican Authorities Technical Services: Enrico Sebastiani

General Contractor:

C.P.C. Technodir

Subcontractors/suppliers:

For the Library:
  Interior furniture and finishes in wood, glass and metalwork: Devoto Arredamenti
  Venetian floors: Ricordi
  Lighting: iGuzzini, Baldieri Illuminazione
  For the Auditorium:
  Seating (to a King Roselli design): Poltona Frau
  Stage area, Main Entrance Doors, cloakroom: Novarreda
  Side-wall panelling: Contin (Estel)
  Foyer Doors: Maestri del Legno
  Lighting: iGuzzini, Baldieri Illuminazione

Photography:

Santi Caleca sas, 3 via Comelico, 20135 Milano Italia tel.fax: +039 (02) 55195215 e-mail: S.Caleca@fastwebnet.it
  José King, 90 Gloucester St (flat B) London  SW 1 V 4ED, UK tel.+44 207 834 3040, e-mail: josek{@freeuk.com

 

Today Art: Objects of Desire, by Carlos Katastrofsky

When I  saw this, I found it interesting, let me tell you why.  This is a machine, a computer redesigned by the artist Carlos Katastrofsky (Austria) with one purpose:  make you think about how technology and their new products, always make you desire it.  In other words, hi-tech bite your freedom until you buy that "object of desire" that owns your heart and mind.   The sad ending of this, is that desire will never be satisfied, because hi-tech product have a very short life.  In a few seconds, there will be another product that you will want, and the actual product that you already bought, will be forgotten in the dust.  Just think about all the music devices that you had before your last iPod, where are they?

Well, better read what this machine have to say:

Via Pan-dan.

Small Paul on sale

                                                                                                                                                            

FYI... Small Paul by 10 Grain has a few items on sale. From now until June 30, the Small Paul - Julius Pad and the Small Paul - Lounge Desk are 20% off.

ORANGE CRUSH

Orange is a vibrant color that brings out energy, stimulates emotion, conversation and even hunger.  When I visualize orange I see nature; the sunset, flowers in bloom and turning leaves. When I taste orange, it tastes like sweet citrus or spices.  It is a color that is alive, fun loving and expressive. The Color Orange is inspired by what the painter Kandinsky said when he stated that the color orange is in fact red that has been made more human by the color yellow.

I do have a great love for orange. Some may even say that I am a little obsessed with it. It just makes me makes me feel so alive.  Now, with that said, a room painted pure orange may be too intense and unnerving. You will have much more success if it’s tinted, shaded or muted by adding another color.  Mixing white will create orange that is in peach or pastel range.  Adding black will create a rich, browner orange.  Blue, which is the complement to orange, will create shades of grey. 

Everything about orange sizzles, so pairing it with neutrals like grey or white will cool it down.

Since orange pulls from yellow and red, it will always make for a spicy color pallet.  These three colors together are called analogous.

Orange and green are truly harmonious.  They are both citrus colors that are found in nature.

Blue is the direct complement to orange on the color wheel.  These to colors together are a winning combination.

Orange is a great way to spice up any room.  Add some excitement with bright orange throw pillows, orange pottery or some orange flowers in a vase.

Use orange wallpaper as a feature wall, create stripes, stencil in orange, etc. This way you can introduce bold color without feeling over powered.

Maybe some of you have developed a little crush too.

Danielle Hirsch
Paint Contractor & Color Expert
Host/Co-host HGTV Color Splash

His Shapes in Motion

For years, I have been intrigued by the work of Saul Bass and his title sequences for the movies. Having always been a fan of his images for Vertigo and Anatomy of a Murder, it was fascinating to explore his other title sequences, poster images, and designs for record albums.

The website, notcoming.com, has an incredible page of accumulated Saul Bass title sequences that you can view frame by frame. You can see his genius over the years and through the decades, from 1954's Carmen Jones to 1995's Casino. Some of his most well known ones like Bonjour Tristesse or Exodus can also be seen on YouTube.

In addition, if you feel enamored of the hand-written type used in many of Bass works, you can download a close approximate; Hitchcock by Matt Terich, through Typographica. On that page you will find other links to similar fonts, like my favorite at the moment, Vertigo, from Fontoville.

If you think the art of Saul Bass looks similar to something you have seen somewhere recently, I would not be surprised if that piece was probably influenced by his work. His use of bold graphic shapes and strong primary colors, sometimes combined with smooth, circular, or even jerking movements worked wonderfully to catch and engage the eye.

Anka

From Svan and Cariboo, now comes Anka > The new Anka Chair and Mini Furniture Set. Both made from sustainable hard wood and environmentally friendly.

 

Practical Expansion

If I were as fond of sit ups and leg lounges as I am of opening and closing these SleekStor™ Collapsible Cups, I'd have rock hard abs and buns of steel. As things stand, I'm a long way away from a perfect body, but storage is a cinch with these handy space savers that expand for use then collapse for storage. In tight quarters every inch matters and these cute collapsibles at chef'n .com stretch every inch to the limit. 

Australian Lighting Designer Volker Haug

Volker Haug's 4-arm Antler pendant

Volker Haug is one Australian designer to watch - and if you haven't heard his name yet, get ready to be hearing a lot more of it! After starting his professional life in landscape gardening and then hairdressing, (all the while tinkering with lighting design on the side), Volker's work is finally making waves both in Australia and overseas. Interestingly, it was an article posted by The Coolhunter late last year that was the launching pad for Volker's current success... he literally went from creating his pieces by hand out of his garage here in Melbourne, Australia, to receiving orders and inquiries from as far as the US and China! Yay for design blogs!

single Antlers

Volker's designs strike the perfect balance between raw minimalism and the unexpected. His work uses simple, clean lines, but combines this slick aesthetic with punchy colours and kooky shapes... classy yet full of personality. I love seeing design that it completely unlike anything else on the market, and Volker's work is truly unique. I'm convinced his pieces will become very well known very soon indeed!

 

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