Maison&Objet Designer of the Year named
(France) - Maison&Objet names its Designer of the Year, Franklin Azzi.
At each edition, Maison&Objet names a Designer of the Year, celebrating the work of the most outstanding talents on the
international design and decoration scene. Having been unable to present his installation on receiving the accolade in September 2020, Franklin Azzi will now take centre stage at the March 2022 edition with Retro Futur, an immersive exploration of his creative process.
Working out of his Parisian agency created in 2006, Azzi develops a cross-disciplinary approach that draws on a potpourri of perspectives and disciplines. By relentlessly sparking a dialogue between architecture, interior design, design and modern art with the backing of his dedicated endowment fund, he hones a talent for design and creation that embraces all scales and all spaces.
From the kind of urban microarchitecture embodied by the Eiffel Kiosque and its prefabricated structure to towers in Dubai and
Paris, not forgetting the refurbishment of existing structures such as the Alstom warehouses in Nantes, his work is underpinned by a quest for sustainability tailored to meet users’ needs. Turning his back on formal style, Azzi develops architecture that is both minimalist in its aesthetic and maximalist in its multi-faceted functionality and environmental quality, resolutely advocating a return to ‘common sense’. He walks firmly in the footsteps of philosopher and urban planner Paul Virilio, the exploratory thinker and creator of whom he was once a student.
Franklin Azzi’s agency boasts more than sixty talented members of staff, and by combining their expertise with a research and innovation laboratory, he asserts a deep-rooted desire to blaze a new trail. Closely focusing on people and their environment, he queries, examines, analyses and explores contexts, production methods and materials prior to breathing life into each space. The agency’s creative process begins by focusing on the flexible use of a space and transforming what is already there with a view to tackling the modern-day goal of creating future-proof cities. As well as rising to the challenge of being of high environmental quality, the Daumesnil building, which he is currently developing in a brand-new neighbourhood in Paris’s 12th arrondissement, flies the flag for flexibility, having been specifically designed so that its offices can be turned into residential spaces.
Azzi’s commitment as a designer-creator infiltrates every aspect of his work, from the largest scale projects to the tiniest manufacturing details, permeating public and private commissions alike, both in France and overseas. He breathes new life into built heritage, invents the living and working spaces of the future (The Bureau, Be In for LVMH), designs urban environments that sit sympathetically in their surroundings (Beaupassage for Emerige), and devises dismantlable and removable structures (the pavilion on the roof of the Galeries Lafayette department store).
Emblematic in its capacity to create and innovate through re -use, the new Montparnasse Tower, planned for 2024, seeks to summarise its vision of the vertical city, low in energy use, open and resilient. Convinced of the strength of collective intelligence to meet the challenges of our time, Franklin Azzi has been working on this major project since 2017 with Nouvelle AOM – a collective that he initiated for the international Demain Montparnasse competition – teaming up with practices Chartier Dalix Architectes and Hardel Le Bihan Architectes. All these spaces shape a brand-new landscape of possibilities, serving up sustainable and contemporary solutions designed to benefit their users.
Retro Futur is an artistic installation that explores the creative processes of the future using tools from the past, echoing the way in which Azzi approaches his work as an architect. The immersive Retro Futur installation stages the architect’s day-to-day activities via a digital, modular and pared-back table in black lacquered metal: it diffuses, across a series of screens, a selection of basic and traditional tools specific to the trade (set square, rotring pen, tracing paper, light table, etc.) as well as the various items required each day when developing a project: architectural models, materials, sketches, etc.
Static and moving images appear in succession, showcasing the manual techniques the architect employs in conjunction with his latest creations. Strapping made from strips of up-cycled industrial felt separates the object from the rest of the lounge. As Joseph Beuys (1921-1986) was keen to convey, felt is an outstanding natural material that can help retain heat, a source of energy that served as a veritable creative driver for the German artist’s work.
The space itself is entirely upholstered with felt, including the ceiling, creating an acoustic bubble that fosters concentration. The slatted curtain, meanwhile, invites visitors to enter and exit the installation at will. The durable and natural felt, which is manufactured in France by Le Feutre, imbues the space with an intimate, calming vibe. The installation resolutely embraces the retro futurism trend that is sweeping through the creative arts, and is one of the sources of inspiration underpinning the agency’s overall approach. It is characterised by a fusion of imagery that sees progress and science-fiction pictured in the past with a view to seeing all futuristic aspects of the present become retro-futuristic over time.
Caroline Fiers new CEO of the Biennale Interieur
(Belgium) - Caroline Fiers takes over at the helm of the Biennale Interieur, the largest design event in Belgium.
The new CEO succeeds Jo Libeer, who is winding down his professional activities after a full and rewarding career. After a few turbulent years for the entire sector, and with the next Biennale in the offing this autumn, Fiers is excited about the opportunity to drive change.
Fiers joined the Interieur team in 2019 as Commercial Director. In 2021, she already took on a lead role managing the event Please, Have a Seat. "After the cancellation of the Biennale in 2020, we were not just looking for a way to maintain our existing relationships. We were looking for opportunities, exploring new avenues. The event was a great success despite the uncertainty of the pandemic, and I am confident that our team is well positioned for the period ahead.
"Please, Have a Seat was a first step in the search for something new and refreshing while remaining true to the core values of the Biennale. We work together with many different partners, stakeholders and target groups, and collaboration is key. That means we have to listen and understand the changing needs among the various players in the design world. I expect to be supplementing my team with people who can help me come up with new ideas and insights, think outside the box. There will be many exiting things to look forward to for our partners and visitors!
"The crisis put many efforts in our sector in jeopardy, but it also has forced us to be more innovative. We want to continue on that path now, looking for ways to continue to inspire and bring people together. I am more convinced than ever that being together in person, creating conversation on design topics that matter, and driving a sense of community around shared goals must be core parts of our added value."
Interieur 22 takes place from 20 to 24 October 2022.
Ingo Maurer launches app for smart lighting control
(Germany) – Ingo Maurer has launched Ingo Maurer Digital, its app for smart lighting control for iOS and Android devices.
Through the app, users can reproduce different lighting settings and colour sequences at a defined speed, allowing the option of 14 different lighting moods, from relaxing to invigorating colour sequences. Brightness can also be individually regulated via the app.
The first fixture that can be operated via the app is the Moodmoon model, designed by Sebastian Hepting – the light is distinctive because of its characteristic interplay of the finest Japanese paper and innovative LED technology. The special structure of the Japanese paper creates a light effect that gives Moodmoon a unique, lively surface.
David Engelhorn, designer at Ingo Maurer, said: “The app allows users to bring their lighting to life. The atmosphere in the room can be effortlessly changed using a smartphone or tablet. No matter whether you want a place to relax or a focused work environment, the lighting can be adapted to suit individual needs thanks to the versatile tool.”
The Ingo Maurer team is constantly developing the app to ensure that it will also offer a wide range of possible applications for individual lighting control in future products and projects. They are hopeful that it will become possible to link several lights, even across different rooms, via WiFi in order to combine colour sequences simultaneously or with a variable dynamic.
Inaugural Silhouette Awards winners announced
(Global) – The winners of the inaugural Silhouette Awards were announced in an online ceremony last week.
The awards, curated by Archifos and Parrot PR & Marketing, aim to shine a light on emerging talent within the lighting industry, honouring young designers who have the vision and ambition to steer and lead the lighting industry in the coming years.
A judging panel of 20 influential senior lighting designers selected the 20 winning entrants – each has been paired with a mentor from the panel of judges.
Entries were received from candidates around the world, spanning 25 countries, all demonstrating varying levels of experience. With an unexpected percentage of female entrants (79%), the judging panel, who reviewed the entries independently, were all aligned with the final selection showcasing the very best of the industry’s talent with an outstanding all-female winners line-up.
Successful candidates will now be individually supported by one of the programme’s 20 mentors for the next six months and beyond as they progress in their careers. With the support of the Silhouette Awards’ array of sponsors and supporters, the winners have been rewarded with the opportunity to enhance their skillset, pursue their career ambitions and add value to the creativity of the industry, raising the bar for talent around the world.
The 2022 winners and their mentor partnerships are:
- Valeriya Gorelova (Mentor: Anna Sbokou)
- Rosa Alvarez de Arcaya (Mentor: Beata Denton)
- Francesca Feltrin (Mentor: Dario Nunez Salazar)
- Dipali Shirsat (Mentor: David Gilbey)
- Laura Arroyo Rocha (Mentor: Fernando Mazzetti)
- Alessandra de Martino (Mentor: Jonathan Rush)
- Swathi Madhi (Mentor: Lara Elbaz)
- Elsa Sawma (Mentor: Linus Lopez)
- Momena Saleem (Mentor: Marci Song)
- Frankie Boyle (Mentor: Marcus Steffen)
- Qistina Ahmad Ali (Mentor: Martin Klaasen)
- Beatrice Bertolini (Mentor: Melissa Mak)
- Elena Volpi (Mentor: Michael Grubb)
- Africa Sabé Dausà (Mentor: Monica Luz Lobo)
- Iris Molendijk (Mentor: Rouzana Kopti)
- Janice Lu (Mentor: Ruth Kelly Waskett)
- Gabi Korac (Mentor: Sam Koerbel)
- Doreen Colling (Mentor: Star Davis)
- Rebecca Mintz (Mentor: Suzan Tillotson)
- Cristina Gil Venegas (Mentor: Victor Palacio)
Eve Gaut, Co-Founder, Parrot PR & Marketing commented: “The Silhouette Awards was set up to recognise the future leaders of the lighting industry and showcase the very best of the best. The calibre of entries has far surpassed our expectations, and we were so proud to receive submissions from all over the world, clearly demonstrating the inclusivity of the industry and the appetite for this type of initiative.
“We are immensely grateful to all supporters, sponsors and mentors who have not only given up their time on the judging panel, but also committed to a further six months guiding these young professionals and helping them to advance on their individual career paths.”
Katia Kolovea, Co-Founder, Archifos, added: “From the initial conception of the Silhouette Awards, it was essential for both Parrot and Archifos to not only recognise the talent of the industry’s rising stars, but to offer guidance and support to the winners on their future careers.
“We were surprised to realise that, despite the judging panel individually reviewing each entry, all 20 winners of the first Silhouette Awards are female. We are very much looking forward to seeing what’s in store for the next edition of this awards programme, and I would personally like to thank everyone that has been involved so far in helping us to achieve our longstanding ambition to showcase the talent of the future.
The journey is really only just beginning as we look forward and support these twenty new mentor-mentee relationships as they flourish and achieve great things together.”
Sustainable Lighting Design podcast passes 1,500 listeners
(Online) – A new podcast dedicated to sustainability and wellbeing in the lighting design process has surpassed 1,500 listeners.
The show, titled Sustainable Lighting Design, is led by Isabel Villar and Maha Shalaby, lighting designer and architect and sustainability specialist respectively at White Arkitekter in Stockholm, Sweden. Villar and Shalaby hope that the podcast will act as an “interdisciplinary ‘Research in Practice’ project, challenging the status quo of lighting design”.
To date, the show has released seven episodes, covering a variety of key topics within the lighting design field; from daylighting and protecting the dark sky, to circularity, WELL certification and Chronobiology – with each episode featuring an expert guest.
All episodes are available to listen to on Spotify here.
Ember Lighting launches LightBulb Lab initiative
(UK) – Managed lighting supplier Ember Lighting has announced the launch of its brand-new industry resource; the LightBulb Lab.
The LightBulb Lab is an online collection of useful information, curated by Ember Lighting founders Marcus Steffen and Gresh Braglewicz. The partners have brought together their expert knowledge and drawn on their collective decades of first-hand lighting industry experience to answer some of the burning questions that clients, architects, interior designers and others may have.
LightBulb Lab brings together Q&As, step-by-steps and how-to guides to address a plethora of issues and queries. The online resources cover topics such as different ways of dimming LED lights, how to avoid project delays and the questions you should ask when sourcing a lighting designer.
Ember Lighting aims to redefine the lighting supply service – where most lighting suppliers just provide the components, Ember Lighting nurtures its clients wants and needs by project managing a lighting transformation from start to finish.
The LightBulb Lab is a further example of where Ember Lighting has evolved with the lighting community; responding to the ever-growing needs for knowledge and industry insight.
Marcus Steffen, co-owner of Ember Lighting and owner of MS Lighting Design, said: “Working in the lighting industry, we recognised the need for information as the sector and solutions are changing at such a rapid pace. We spotted a gap for an all-encompassing knowledge hub, and the idea for the LightBulb Lab was born.”
Ember Lighting co-owner and owner of Capital Rewire, Gresh Braglewicz, added: “Our collective experience and expertise puts us in a strong position to share our knowledge with the wider industry. We’re confident the LightBulb Lab is going to become a ‘go-to’ resource across the sector. We’re already planning its expansion and the Ember Lighting team is excited about the future as we evolve and grow.”
The LightBulb Lab was soft launched in December with a small event before Christmas 2021. A number of professionals from the design community came together at the Lutron Electronics showroom in London to experience the LightBulb Lab, as well as offer final thoughts on useability before the national roll-out.
www.emberlighting.co.uk/the-lightbulb-lab
Mayfair Hotel Project Focus
The Mayfair Townhouse luxury hotel has received a stunning design overhaul from Goddard Littlefair and Kate & Sam Lighting Designers. Inspired by the flamboyant Oscar Wilde and his contemporaries, the design duo revisit the lighting concept, in conversation with darc editor Sarah Cullen.
Held as part of the [d]arc thoughts programme at [d]arc room pop-up @ Design London, in association with Lutron.
darcroom.com
lutron.com/europe
kateandsam.co.uk
Diversity in Design: Queer Equality
Continuing the Diversity in Design theme for this year’s [d]arc thoughts, the final talk on the topic covers the lighting and design industry’s inclusivity of the LGBTQ+ community and how companies and associations are working to ensure their workplaces are a safe and inclusive space.
Moderated by darc editor Sarah Cullen, panelists include Sophie O'Rourke (Nulty), Colin Ball (BDP) and Emma Cogswell (Skills Army, IALD).
Held as part of the [d]arc thoughts programme at [d]arc room pop-up @ Design London, in association with Lutron.
darcroom.com
lutron.com/europe
nultylighting.co.uk
bdp.com
skillsarmy.co.uk
iald.org
Trends in Decorative Lighting
In this panel, moderated by darc editor Sarah Cullen, participants discuss how decorative lighting is currently being specified, what designers are asking for and how manufacturers are responding, while looking at challenges within the sector and assessing whether Brexit is impacting what's possible on a project and influencing design.
Panelists include Anna Burles (Run For The Hills), Scott Richler (Gabriel Scott), Mark Harper (Dernier & Hamlyn) and Marvin George (Foundry).
Held as part of the [d]arc thoughts programme at [d]arc room pop-up @ Design London, in association with Lutron.
darcroom.com
lutron.com/europe
runforthehills.com
gabriel-scott.com
dernier-hamlyn.com
foundry.london
Women in Lighting for Gender Equality
Following a recent survey on gender equality in the lighting industry carried out by Women in Lighting, darc editor Sarah Cullen sits down with a panel of WIL supporters to discuss women in leadership, women and work/life balance, and how we can fight gender bias together. This talk was part of a Diversity in Design series tackling issues surrounding gender, race and sexuality in the lighting design industry.
Panelists included Ruth Kelly Waskett (Hoare Lea, SLL), Marcus Steffen (MS Lighting Design), Krishna Mistry (Mistry Lighting) and James Poore (JPLD).
Held as part of the [d]arc thoughts programme at [d]arc room pop-up @ Design London, in association with Lutron.
darcroom.com
lutron.com/europe
womeninlighting.com
hoarelea.com
mslightingdesign.co.uk
mistrylighting.com
jpld.co.uk
Technology & Decorative Design
Product designer Samuel Wilkinson and Simeon Chilvers of Cameron Design House sit down with darc editor Sarah Cullen to discuss how technology continues to push product design forward within the decorative lighting sector; opening up more opportunities for specification and unique applications.
Held as part of the [d]arc thoughts programme at [d]arc room pop-up @ Design London, in association with Lutron.
darcroom.com
lutron.com/europe
samuelwilkinson.com
camerondesignhouse.com
Cerno - BDNY product launches
Cerno reflects on its time at BDNY, at the end of 2021, where it introduced multiple new designs and welcomed attendees direct feedback. This video highlights some of these latest products along with a brief chat with Co-Founder Nick Sheridan.
