Paying tribute to a pioneering designer - Nanna Ditzel (1923-2005) one of the most influential Danish designers of the 20th century
Nanna Ditzel reflects her postmodernist attitude and rebellion against tradition, which she brought to Danish design in the 1990s when she was well into her 70s. Despite her subjective starting points, Nanna had a remarkable ability to transform her artistic dreams into functional and purposeful designs that attracted worldwide attention. Her furniture designs were not only innovative but also had a contagious effect on the rooms they occupied, making people feel inspired to incorporate them into their homes.
Breaking the rules asking for imagination, motion and vision
The quote "THREE STEPS FORWARD AND TWO BACK STILL MEANS I'VE TAKEN A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION!" by Nanna Ditzel reflects her postmodernist attitude and rebellion against tradition, which she brought to Danish design in the 1990s when she was well into her 70s. Despite her subjective starting points, Nanna had a remarkable ability to transform her artistic dreams into functional and purposeful designs that attracted worldwide attention. Her furniture designs were not only innovative but also had a contagious effect on the rooms they occupied, making people feel inspired to incorporate them into their homes.
Born in Copenhagen in 1923, Nanna Ditzel was trained as a cabinetmaker before studying at the School of Arts and Crafts and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. Throughout her career, Nanna was always inspired by the challenges of new materials and techniques, which led her to experiment with split-level floor seating in the 1950s and become a pioneer in various disciplines such as fiberglass, wickerwork, and foam rubber. She even designed the world's most renowned furniture textile, "Hallingdal," for Kvadrat.
From 1968 to 1986, Nanna lived in London and established the international furniture house Interspace in Hampstead. In 1989, she became closely connected with Fredericia, which led to a successful partnership resulting in the Trinidad chair, marking a turning point in Fredericia's history. Nanna Ditzel's uncompromising approach to design continues to influence Fredericia's culture and product development to this day.
For Nanna Ditzel, the aesthetics of the chair were just as important as its function. She believed that a chair's appearance should combine well with the person who sits in it and that some chairs look like crutches, which she disliked. Throughout her life, Nanna was awarded numerous prizes, including Denmark's highest design honor, the ID-prize in 1995 for "Trinidad," and the Gold Medal in the International Furniture Design Competition in Japan in 1990 for "Bench for Two." In 1998, she was awarded the lifelong Artists' Grant by the Danish Ministry of Culture, and she was also elected as an Honourable Royal Designer at the Royal Society of Arts in London in 1996. Nanna Ditzel's legacy lives on as one of the most renowned Danish designers, whose innovative and functional designs continue to inspire and influence the world of modern design.
Fredericia pays tribute to Nanna Ditzel - The grande dame of Danish design
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Nanna Ditzel’s birth, the Danish design brand Fredericia pays tribute to their former main designer - a pioneering woman considered to be one of the greatest Danish designers of the 20th century - with a limited edition launch and new colours added to Ditzel’s most popular chair through time.
Breaking the rules asking for imagination, motion and vision
Fondly known as the “grande dame of Danish Design,” Nanna Ditzel (1923-2005) was one of the most creative, influential, and versatile Danish designers whose style never stopped evolving throughout her more than 60-year career.
Ditzel was a woman who challenged the comme il faut of design and succeeded in leaving an enduring dash of poetic lightness and artistic innovation in the Danish design tradition having deservedly positioned herself in the history due to her many striking and innovative designs across centuries and disciplines.
Being a generation after legendary architects and designers like Børge Mogensen and Hans J. Wegner, Ditzel also studied under the master architect and designer Kaare Klint at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts after graduating as a cabinetmaker and while studying as a furniture architect at the School of Arts and Craft. Even though schooled by Klint and his modern functionalism, Ditzel quickly broke out of the strict and formal design rules going for poetic and sculptural shapes rejecting the “masculine” ideals in favour of softness and rounded shapes. Experimenting with intense colours, new materials and the norms of space and design, she was challenging traditional thinking with her prolific output throughout decades. Leaving a clear mark on both private homes and public spaces and making her a distinctive voice and one of the most accomplished Danish designers spanning over 60 years as a designer from furniture and jewellery to silverware, glass and textiles being the first woman to design for Fredericia, Kvadrat and Georg Jensen.
In a strongly male-dominated furniture industry, Ditzel claimed her place. Together with her fellow student and later husband, Jørgen Ditzel, she already participated in the Carpenters Guild’s annual exhibitions during her studies as a furniture architect at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. After graduating in 1946, they establish their own design studio. Ditzel challenged the design orthodoxy and became a leading figure in the renewal of Danish design and the functionalist design traditions in the 1960s. As part of the new generation, including her husband and Verner Panton, they all distanced themselves from the general perception of good taste in Danish design, creating avant-garde furniture as space-forming architectural elements. Demanding imagination and vision, Ditzel’s designs were sculptural, experimental, and organic, with nature being a continuous source of inspiration.
When Nanna’s long-time husband and design partner, Jørgen Ditzel, passed away, she reinvented herself as a solo designer exploring new materials and designs. In 1968 Ditzel diversified again when she moved to London. While running her design studio, she also ran the acclaimed Hampstead store Interspace gallery with her second husband, furniture dealer Kurt Heide, owner of the eponymous design shop Oscar Woollens on Finchley Road. Being a first mover importing international design, Interspace was a gathering place for global design names.
Blue Bottle Zhang Yuan Cafe design by Neri&Hu
The most famous garden in Shanghai, Zhang Yuan, developed into one of the earliest public and commercial spaces in modern China, exemplifying and leading the emergence of a new Chinese urban lifestyle at the end of the 19th century. After a complete rehabilitation of Zhang Yuan's historic buildings, Blue Bottle commissioned Neri&Hu to create a retail space within one of the old Shikumen typology residences in 2022. In Shanghai, coffee initiates a dialogue between the city's rich history and its contemporary social landscape.
The most famous garden in Shanghai, Zhang Yuan, developed into one of the earliest public and commercial spaces in modern China, exemplifying and leading the emergence of a new Chinese urban lifestyle at the end of the 19th century. After a complete rehabilitation of Zhang Yuan's historic buildings, Blue Bottle commissioned Neri&Hu to create a retail space within one of the old Shikumen typology residences in 2022. In Shanghai, coffee initiates a dialogue between the city's rich history and its contemporary social landscape.
Amidst the architectural relics of Zhang Yuan, where the city’s collective memory resides, one can imagine this scene described by Chinese writer Mu Xin - people scattered about in the shadowy lanes of Shanghai at sunset like tiny crabs scurrying in and out of their sandy shelters. In this vast network of alleys, people carried on about their daily lives, but there was always time for leisure for the Shanghainese. Both locals and visitors can enjoy Neri&Hu's narrative journey by capturing the spirit of the local urban fabric.
The existing brick walls, doors, and windows of the original architectural façades and atriums are preserved according to historic preservation guidelines. This leaves them as a continuous backdrop for the addition of new design elements. A primitive shelter forms the visual and circulatory focal point of the project; it is where coffee is prepared and served, and represents a return to the origins of architecture. An elongated space connects the main street to the atrium along the old building's exterior wall. As a nod to the leisurely social moments of life in Shikumen, this alley-like building space includes benches and small tables against the windows and walls.
Neri&Hu studied the structure and its tectonic joinery meticulously to make it as light as possible, in contrast to the heavy palette of the existing architecture. Stainless steel is used for the roof structure while perforated and bent steel is used for the roof surface, reflecting the surroundings subtly and fuzzy. Neri&Hu also were inspired by the informal construction and simple attachments that people once used to extend their private spaces into the alley, so the existing structural columns are commandeered with metal rods and small platforms that serve as light rails, benches, side tables, and objects. This project incorporates repurposed traditional old furniture, whose traces of time impart a sense of warmth and familiarity, merging the old and the new, Blue Bottle and Shanghai.
Primitive Shelter
Blue Bottle Zhang Yuan Cafe
Site Address: W5-1A, 240 North Maoming Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai, China
Completion: November 2022
Client: Blue Bottle Coffee
Project Type: Interior
Program: Cafe
Gross area: 175 sqm
Partners-in-charge: Lyndon Neri, Rossana Hu
Associate-in-charge: Qiucheng Li
Design team: Jiaxin Zhang, Xi Chen, Peizheng Zou, Shangyun Zhou, Greg Wu, Luna Hong
Interior design: Neri&Hu Design and Research Office
FF&E design and procurement: Design Republic
General contractor: Blue Peak Image Producing Co., Ltd
Photos: Zhu Runzi
(BODW) Business of Design Week 2022 Summit Presents ‘Design for Change’
Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, Business of Design Week 2022 Summit Presents ‘Design for Change’, Driving Innovation Amid Uncertainty
From 28 November to 3 December, join Asia’s premier annual event on design, innovation and brands for illuminating conversations with global creative leaders. Headlining BODW 2022 are Chi Wing Lo, Richard Hutten, Ross Lovegrove, Nikki Gonnissen, Rossana Hu, Bill Bensley, Sylvain Roca; more to be announced Speakers to fly in from the Netherlands, UK, France, Thailand and around the world for the first time since 2018
Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, Business of Design Week 2022 Summit Presents
‘Design for Change’, Driving Innovation Amid Uncertainty
From 28 November to 3 December, join Asia’s premier annual event on design, innovation and brands for illuminating conversations with global creative leaders. Headlining BODW 2022 are Chi Wing Lo, Richard Hutten, Ross Lovegrove, Nikki Gonnissen, Rossana Hu, Bill Bensley, Sylvain Roca; more to be announced Speakers to fly in from the Netherlands, UK, France, Thailand and around the world for the first time since 2018
On the occasion of its 20th anniversary, Business of Design Week (BODW) 2022, Asia’s premier annual event on design, innovation and brands, will make a grand return from 28 November until 3 December. Since 2002, BODW has gathered the most sought-after creative leaders in the world, with a host of concurrent design-related initiatives that have made BODW one of Hong Kong’s most anticipated events. BODW has also strengthened collaborations across borders, joining forces with 13 partner countries and cities in the last 20 years.
This year’s BODW Summit will welcome international speakers from UK, France, Thailand, Japan, Korea, as well as from the Netherlands, BODW’s Strategic Partner for 2022.
Creative Solutions for Addressing the World’s Most Pressing Challenges
The theme ‘Design for Change’ highlights the vision and leadership needed for design to become a force for good as well as the key movements and trends defining the future. Now on its 20th year of gathering some of the world’s most compelling and insightful leaders, creatives, and pioneers, the BODW 2022 Summit focuses on five main pillars, namely Brand Transformation, Culture and the City, Metaverse and
Metaliving, New Urban Models, and Social Design Innovation. Global business and design leaders representing some of the world’s most innovative brands will share their insights on upcoming trends to help businesses brave new changes with a design mindset.
As the 2022 summit’s Strategic Partner, the Netherlands, celebrated for its iconic design movements and circular innovation, and CreativeNL, the country’s platform for creative pioneers, brings some of its most celebrated design talents such as Nikki Gonnissen (Co-founder, Thonik) and Dr Koen Olthuis (CEO, Waterstudio.NL) among others to Hong Kong, participating in key conversations on designing climate-resilient communities, milestones in modern design, and more.
Featuring global speakers both in-person and virtually, BODW 2022 Summit includes physical events at M+ Grand Stair, with highly-anticipated panels broadcast on ViuTVsix at 8:00pm–10:00pm from 30 November to 2 December, with the full programme livestreamed on bodw+ and on social media platforms to provide full access to an international audience.
Among the BODW 2022 Summit’s speakers are:
Joining live in-person to interact with BODW participants:
Bill Bensley, Founder & Creative Director, BENSLEY (Thailand)
Tina Chao, Chief Marketing & Digital Customer Experience Officer, Marketing, McDonald’s Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
Nikki Gonnissen, Co-founder & Director, Thonik (The Netherlands)
Aaron Lau, Founder & CEO, Gusto Collective (Hong Kong)
Chi Wing Lo, Founder, DIMENSIONE CHI WING LO (Italy)
Dr Koen Olthuis, CEO Architect, Waterstudio.NL (The Netherlands)
Adeline Ooi, Director Asia, Art Basel (Hong Kong)
Paul Priestman, Chairman & Creative Director, Puli Innovations Shanghai (UK)
Sylvain Roca, Founder & Director, Atelier Sylvain Roca (France)
Guy Salter OBE MVO, Chairman, London Craft Week (UK)
Dr Paul Thompson, Vice-chancellor, the Royal College of Art (UK)
Yves Ubelmann, Co-founder & President, Iconem (France)
Thomas Widdershoven, Co-founder & Director, Thonik (The Netherlands)
Michael Young, Founder, Michael Young Studio (Hong Kong)
Joining virtually from around the world:
Emma Chiu, Global Director, Wunderman Thompson Intelligence (UK)
Deng Chao, Head of Product & Design, Xiaohongshu (Mainland China)
Rossana Hu, Founding Partner, Neri&Hu Design and Research Office (Mainland China)
Richard Hutten, Designer & Founder, Richard Hutten Studio BV (The Netherlands)
Chul Bae Lee, Head of Design, LG Electronics (Korea)
Ross Lovegrove, Founder, Lovegrove Studio (UK)
Marthijn Pool, Co-founder, Space&Matter (The Netherlands)
Tong Huiming, Professor, Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts (Mainland China)
Cited in Chief Executive John Lee’s 2022 Policy Address as one of the globally acclaimed platforms fostering the development of the arts, cultural and creative industries, BODW is a major annual event organised by Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC), supported by Strategic Partner, the Netherlands, and its platform for creative pioneers, CreativeNL; together with Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) as the Lead Sponsor.
An accredited event celebrating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong SAR, BODW 2022 is co-organised by Hong Kong Trade Development Council, with support from Strategic Regional Partner,Guangzhou Design Week; Strategic Cultural Partner, M+; Strategic Business Partners, Brand Hong Kong, Dutch Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK); and Strategic Programme Partners, Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI), PMQ and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design (PolyU Design).
As well as having some of its selected highlight sessions broadcast on ViuTV, the BODW Summit will be livestreamed for free on bodw+, the digital design knowledge platform envisioned to become Asia’s leading online design portal, featuring evergreen year-round content on seminal design trends. To join the BODW Summit, register for free to become a bodw+ Basic member, or upgrade to Plus or Corporate Membership for exclusive ticket discounts for physical events, as well as access to on-demand content and other exclusive offers.
Stay tuned for more information on the BODW 2022 Summit as more speakers and exciting additions to the programme will be announced at 2022.bodw.com, and register to become a bodw+ member now.
About Hong Kong Design Centre (www.hkdesigncentre.org)
A non-governmental organisation registered in 2001 and established in 2002, Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) is a strategic partner of the HKSAR Government in establishing Hong Kong as an international centre of design excellence in Asia. Our public mission is to promote wider and strategic use of design and design thinking to create business value and improve societal well-being.
The year 2022 marks our 20th Anniversary, where we will celebrate with a series of activities under the theme ‘Design for Sustainable Community’.
About Business of Design Week (2022.bodw.com)
Asia’s premier annual event on design, innovation and brands since 2002, Business of Design Week (BODW) organised by Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) gathers some of the world’s foremost design masters, brand leaders and entrepreneurs from Hong Kong as well as overseas, driving discourse on the value of design and innovation to inspire global audiences and explore new business opportunities.
About Create Hong Kong (www.createhk.gov.hk)
Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) is a dedicated office set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in June 2009 to spearhead the development of creative industries in Hong Kong. From 1 July 2022 onwards, it is under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia’s creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community. CreateHK sponsors HKDC to organise Business of Design Week (BODW), BODW City Programme, DFA Awards, Knowledge of Design Week, Fashion Asia Hong Kong, Design Incubation Programme and Fashion Incubation Programme, among other projects, to promote Hong Kong design.
Today marks the unveiling of Designart Tokyo, which will take place on October 21 - October 30, 2022
At DESIGNART TOKYO, one of Japan’s largest design and art festivals, leading creators in various genres (art, design, interior design, fashion, etc.) converge in Tokyo, one of the world’s most culturally diverse cities, to hold exhibitions across the city. The entire district will be turned into a museum, bridging invaluable encounters and inspirations through interaction with creators. With “TOGETHER” as this year’s theme, DESIGNART will continue to promote design and art from Tokyo to the rest of the world as an international event.
Leading creators from all genres (art, design, interior design, fashion, etc.) converge in Tokyo, one of the world's most cosmopolitan cities, to hold exhibitions across the city during DESIGNART TOKYO. Through interaction with creators, the district will be transformed into a museum, connecting valuable encounters and inspirations. DESIGNART will continue to promote design and art from Tokyo to the rest of the world with "TOGETHER" as this year's theme.
NEXT CIRCULATION - Sustainable & Technology
Participating creators : Taiwan Design Research Institute, Landloop × GELCHOP / BCXSY, Orna Tamir Schestowitz, Yuma Kano, Ryuichi Kozeki, OKURAYAMA STUDIO × KAARON STUDIO, Hiroto Yoshizoe, 3710Lab × Sae Honda, Satoshi Itasaka
Manufacturing and sustainability initiatives are being proactively taken worldwide in various fields to achieve the SDGs toward a sustainable society. In addition to developing materials and technologies, building relationships with partners and educating the next generation are likely to be the keys to producing high-demand, popular products. Considering this, DESIGNAT TOKYO 2022 will present the NEXT CIRCULATION, a sustainability- and technology-themed exhibition, featuring initiatives by leading corporate brands and creators, as well as a selection of inspiring exhibits that contemplate “beyond” recycling and upcycling. Satoshi Itasaka, a designer in the fields of architecture, product, and art, who also works on upcycling, will take charge of the spatial design.
COOPERATION:
NOMURA MEDIAS Co.,Ltd. PANECO® (WORKSTUDIO Corporation), Musashi Paint Holdings Co.,Ltd.（Bio Based Paint）, GLORY CO., LTD., remare,inc.
The “Printed Sculpture” art project of LAND LOOP, a brand known for its naturally derived plastics developed by Toyoshima & Co. Ltd., will feature work by GELCHOP and BCXSY. The Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI), Taiwan’s design promoter, will present a special edition of “the SP!RAL” for DESIGNART TOKYO. Israeli designer Orna Tamir Schestowitz designed organically shaped ceramic vessels, and superimposed on the manmade object photographic images of the bounty of the Israeli earth. She has transformed the age-old medium of ceramics by an inspired application of modern techniques. Spatial designer Hiroto Yoshizoe will exhibit “Orbit,” a new lighting work first presented in Milan, which features shades made from 100% recycled glass of waste CRTs and fluorescent tubes.
DESIGNART GALLERY at Hz SHIBUYA : New Platform with Asian Design
Participating creators : messagingleaving（UNDER 30）, Karyn Lim（UNDER 30）, SDANLEY DESIGN WORKS, quantum × Stratasys Japan, ADAM from SOZAI CENTER（ KOMORU Ltd. ・M&T）
DESIGNART believes that the time has come for Asia, with its strong economic growth rate and emerging cultural center, to take the lead in terms of creativity as well as technology. To this end, this year we will present DESIGNART GALLERY, a collective exhibition focusing on Asian creators, as a steppingstone to a new platform for building more friendly and progressive relationships with other Asian countries. The exhibition will be held at the newly established Hz, an event space with an eye-catching glass facade in the cultural hub of Shibuya.
The Taipei-based creative practice messagingleaving, led by Chialing Chang (UNDER 30), will present the lighting and mirror collections that uncover diverse expressions of brass and stainless steel. Karyn Lim (UNDER30) will be exhibiting Transformation Bags, a play on geometry to create sculptural forms that can transform into a flat object. In "mitate" project by quantum × Stratasys Japan, images of unique bowls were generated by seeing everything as a bowl with an AI, we then designed 3D data of bowls based on the images and 3D printed. Interior products made by new material “ADAM”, established by KOMORU Ltd. and M&T, a product design studio, utilizing apple pomace from the apple juice and cider.
Designer SDANLEY SHEN, will be exhibited the "The Bender", made in collaboration with the warp of wood, which is the wood's natural state and people can feel more warmth of this work.
「KAISU」 Furniture by featured Creators
Participating creators : Ishinomaki Laboratory（Keiji Ashizawa, Kenji Ito, Wataru Kumano, Koichi Suzuno, Naoki Terada, Nicolaj Friis Nøddesbo, Shigeki Fujishiro）、Shinnosuke Harada/ Junichi Ishigaki/ Ryo Suzuki、NAMAIKI / Mai Suzuki
The exhibition will feature a collection of furniture works with innovative and adventurous designs at KAISU, a former Japanese-style restaurant in Akasaka, which has been renovated as a new space. In the last 11 years, Ishinomaki Laboratory, founded by architect Keiji Ashizawa, has gained recognition and its concept has spread throughout the world. This time, returning to its roots, seven architects and designers held a workshop with craftspeople in Ishinomaki, and designed unique pieces under the theme of Ishinomaki Home Base. The results of the workshop will be presented in the form an exhitibition of furnitures and products under the title “7 designers, 2 days at Ishinomaki Laboratory”.
Three tables, explored by three designers, Shinnosuke Harada/ Junichi Ishigaki/ Ryo Suzuki, are exhibited under the theme of an easily portable "ibasho". Mai Suzuki will exhibit innovative works that create undiscovered(MICHI) possibilities for the traditional craft of "Kumiko". Through a fusion of craftsmanship and technology, she transformed kumiko flats into a hemispherical. The café and bar at the venue will be a lively spot for creators to gather during the exhibition.
Venue : KAISU 6-13-5, Akasaka Minato-ku, Tokyo
ITOCHU SDGs STUDIO: 「Regeneration and circulation」
Participating creators : Konel、Ao. 、Studio POETIC CURIOSITY
ITOCHU SDGs STUDIO will serve as a space which various NGOs, NPOs and other organizations involved with the SDGs can use to communicate information about their activities and as a space where individuals have the opportunity to engage with the SDGs in their own way, allowing various plans to unfurl and take shape.
This time, the artworks of three creators will be exhibited which are born from the concept of “Regeneration and circulation”. Konel will exhibit clogs made from discarded clothing. Even if the teeth wear out, they can be replaced and continue to regenerate semi-permanently. “Ao.” sustainable indigo-dyed furniture project will present “Ao.Re:,” furniture upcycled from discarded wooden furniture and solid wood lumber. With the theme of “regenerating touch and feel,” Studio POETIC CURIOSITY will showcase “Fabric Record,” a phonograph record made from used and discarded textiles to enjoy sounds made from fabric.
Venue：ITOCHU SDGs STUDIO
2-3-1, Itochu Garden B1F, Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Hibiya OKUROJI: Diverse works, from interior goods to cutting-edge art, under the 100-year-old viaduct
Participating creators：Takaya Mic Mitsunaga (UNDER 30) , Nina Nomura (UNDER 30) , Sohma Furutate (UNDER 30), nooca, Maruhei Timber × tossanaigh
Hibiya OKUROJI is located between Hibiya and Ginza, where the impressive brick bridge arches are still in use after more than 100 years. The 300-meter-long space will host a variety of artworks, from interior design to works by cutting-edge artists. In a large space of approx. 130 square meters, the Berlin Wall online project, organized by DESIGNART TOKYO’s UNDER 30 artist Takaya Mic Mitsunaga, will appear under the title BERLIN WALL TOKYO. Another UNDER 30 artist, Nina Nomura, will exhibit Life Through Holes, a work that questions the true richness of the relationship between objects and people by filling the surface of objects with tiny holes. Sohma Furutate (UNDER 30), will exhibit the interior elements "MASS -2022-", seems to have an irregular appearance, but the forms that emerge by capturing all the elements of surface transitions , depth and shading are a more "human" way of seeing things as a sensual perspective.
Other exhibitions include new flower vases and objects from the “form” collection of nooca, a brand launched this year. Maruhei Timber, which recovered from the 2011 earthquake with the help of many supporters, will display its Miyagi Terroir Kitchen created with the design unit tossanaigh to promote resource recycling, a pressing challenge faced by Japan‘s forestry industry. Visitors can also enjoy sales and events during the exhibition.
Perrier-Jouët & Garance Vallée - “Planted Air,” a collaboration artwork, will be exhibited in Japan ahead of the world
Perrier-Jouët, the French prestige Champagne house, releases the world premiere in Japan of a collaborative artwork, “Planted Air,” created for Perrier-Jouët with French artist, architect, and designer Garance Vallée.
This work expresses the dialogue between the two pillars that support the Maison Perrier-Jouët: art and nature. Reinterpreting the ecology of the Perrier-Jouët vineyard, the work's extensive use of curves and arabesques represents Art Nouveau from a contemporary perspective. The materials chosen are unique and artisanal, and the solid, hand-carved limestone blocks evoke the terroir of Champagne. The wrought iron, which was painstakingly forged by craftsmen, is reminiscent of the main gate of the Maison Belle Epoque in Epernay.
Venue：ISETAN SALONE TOKYO MIDTOWN, Galleria
1F Promotion Space 9-7-4, Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Period：10/19（Wed.）～11/1（Tue.）2022
SANLORENZO JAPAN meets Kazuto Imura
Pre-launch of SANLORENZO JAPAN, the world’s leading Italian yacht brand by internationally renowned designers including Piero Lissoni
Coinciding with the pre-launch of SANLORENZO JAPAN, artist Kazuto Imura’s solo exhibition “Æ/æ” will be held at MA5 GALLERY, which will serve as a platform for SANLORENZO JAPAN’s Art & Design. For the first exhibition there, Imura has created mirrors that “do not reflect yourself.” Through examining materials and techniques that have been used in mirror production, he relives the history of the human-mirror association. The title “Æ/æ” was inspired by the technique he used with a focus on the mirror construction, where he superimposes the phenomenon caused by the materials’ composite nature during the mirror-making process onto a reflected image. Please enjoy this fantastic space formed by mirrors.
Material and technical cooperation : UNOU JUKU by AGC Inc. Makership Inc.
Venue：MA5GALLERY by SANLORENZO JAPAN
5-10-17, Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo Curated by DESIGNART
Period：10/21（Fri.）～11/28（Mon.） Closed on Wednesdays
teamLab, Continuous Life and Death at the Now of Eternity at VOLVO STUDIO AOYAMA
Volvo Studio Aoyama will display Continuous Life and Death at the Now of Eternity by the art collective teamLab. This will be exhibited in conjunction with another art exhibition by teamLab and sponsored by Volvo Car Japan, VOLVO teamLab: A Forest Where Gods Live. It is held at Mifuneyama Rakuen in Kyushu, where the vast forest, megaliths, caves, and other natural features of Mt. Mifuneyama, become art in themselves. The exhibition will allow visitors who are unable to travel to Kyushu to see this installation at Volvo Studio Aoyama, where flowers continuously bloom and perish, to experience the continuity of life seen over a long span of time.
Venue： VOLVO STUDIO AOYAMA 3-3-11, Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo.
Period：7/15（Fri.）～11/6（Sun.）2022
teamLab, Continuous Life and Death at the Now of Eternity © teamLab
A space where fashion and art blend with each other
Prada presents the exhibition “Who the Bær”
Period：10/15（Sat.）2022 ～1/30（Mon.）2023
Venue：Prada Aoyama 5-2-6 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 5th floor
Prada presents the exhibition “Who the Bær” by Simon Fujiwara, organized with the support of Fondazione Prada, at Prada Aoyama. “Who the Bær” is a cartoon character created by the artist that takes inspiration from fairy tales, fantasy literature, animation and the exhibition explores a plurality of topics belonging to different realms: from the climate collapse to cultural appropriation, from plastic surgery to Pop-art through the coming-of-age story of ''Who the Bær".
“Visitors" by Chrisitan Hidaka & Takeshi Murata
Christian Hidaka (b. 1977, Chiba, Japan, lives and works in London, UK) and Takeshi Murata (b. 1974, USA, lives and works in Los Angeles) will hold the co-exhibition Visitors at Maison Hermes Forum in Ginza. Through the worlds of these two artists, who continue to create works that interrogate the space between reality and fiction, the exhibition will highlight the fictional structure seen in contemporary art through two narratives.
Period：10/21（Fri.）2022～1/31（Tue.）2023
Venue： GINZA MAISON HERMÈS Le Forum 5-4-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Ayame Ono at PERVERZE THE EMBODIMENT STORE
Established in Tokyo in 2016 by an anonymous collective of young creatives, PERVERZE is both a fashion brand and a project, will have a collaborative exhibition with artist Ayame Ono at PERVERZE THE EMBODIMENT STORE, which opened in March 2022. While utilizing thestructure of the store, this exhibition will incorporate PERVERZE's archive of textile patterns and materials created up until now, forming a collage of works where various layers intersect.
Venue：PERVERZE THE EMBODIMENT STORE 5-5-1, Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Experience of Technology x Art
Metaverse Boundary
The metaverse, such as digital twins, is a recent hot topic. What would people do if a metaverse city is shrouded in darkness? What is it like if a mirror exists physically at the boundary of the virtual and real? This is an experimental artwork by ExMetaClub x TV Asahi, which considers the viewer’s (avatar’s) experience and behavior in the metaverse space itself as the artwork. “The gorgeous and light-filled METAVERSE ROPPONGI” will be turned into the “Black METAVERSE ROPPONGI” for a limited time. This interactive artwork is simultaneously exhibited physically and virtually. *The exhibit will tour different locations.
Period：10/28（Fri.）～10/30（Sun.）2022 How to participate: Real Space ／ANB Tokyo 3rd floor 5-2-4, Roppongi, Minato-ku Tokyo
Virtual space ／ METAVERSE ROPPONGI
MedicalArt Turning your Health Condition into Art from Medical Data
Medical Art is produced by five creators with diverse backgrounds (designer, planner, engineer, graduate school lecturer, etc.). The data they collected themselves (e.g., facial expressions, behaviors, and health information) are combined and redefined based on modern medical data to create an artwork of the inner self. “Medical Data x Art” will offer an opportunity to learn about the unknown inner self and to improve wellbeing. At the venue within patisserie UN GRAIN shop, renowned for MIGNARDISES (bite-sized sweets), visitors can purchase sweet treats while enjoying an artistic vibe.
Venue：UN GRAIN | Premiere Building 1F, 6-8-17 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
This special venue happened to be decorated by Japanese creators, as Ambientec sponsored the adorning of the venue with 120 TURN+ lamps, designed by Nao Tamura, while plant artist Satoshi Kawamoto took charge of table-top decorations. Stemming from this, the first collaborative installation with Kawamoto will be exhibited in TOKYO. ( Directed by Nao Tamura, Venue provided by SEMPRE DESIGN)
INTERIOR
New collections and presentations by interior brands
Venue： FLEXFORM TOKYO 6-4-10, Minami-Aoyama Minato-ku, Tokyo
2022 NEW COLLECTION【AMBROEUS】
FLEXFORM 2022 NEW COLLECTION
In a relentless pursuit of the beauty that breathes in our everyday life, the 2022 NEW COLLECTION of FLEXFORM has further evolved through the refinement of its graceful sense of beauty, not being influenced by trends or self-satisfaction. The global flagship store FLEXFORM TOKYO in Minami Aoyama offers not only new products, but also sofas, armchairs, tables, chairs, cabinets, and other comfortable furniture for daily use.
FOCUS / YUJI OKITSU at ROYAL FURNITURE COLLECTION
Venue： ROYAL FURNITURE COLLECTION SHOWROOM 2-12-4 Sakamoto Bldg. 1 F Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
The lighting piece FOCUS, designed by Yuji Okitsu and commercialized by the French lighting brand DCW éditions PARIS, will be exhibited in the Tokyo showroom of the Royal Furniture Collection. The original FOCUS was exhibited by Yuji Okitsu for the first time worldwide at Milano Salone Satellite 2018 and domestically at AXIS during DESIGNART TOKYO 2018. It was presented as an interior object hung from the ceiling like a mobile, combining multiple thin and light flat lenses and LED lights. By re-focusing on and re-composing the existing elements such as light, air, and scenery, FOCUS continually creates a new scenery responding to subtle ambient changes in the space. This time, the details of "FOCUS" have been reconsidered and refined to create a new lighting work that is even more sophisticated and conceptual than the original.
ARIAKE with LE KLINT / Bang&Olufsen / BELAIR LAB
Venue： #103 4-1-15 Minami-Aoyama , Minato-ku, Tokyo
Ariake, a furniture brand founded by Legnatec and Hirata Chair, two factories from the furniture producing town of Morodomi in Saga prefecture, will present its new collection for 2022 in collaboration with LE KLINT, Bang & Olufsen and BELAIR LAB.
"DISSECT" Satoshi Kawamoto × Ambientec
Period：10/28（Fri.）～10/30（Sun.）2022
Venue：LIGHT BOX STUDIO AOYAMA 5-16-7, Minami-Aoyama Minato-ku, Tokyo
This year's The Salone del Mobile.Milano’s Gala Dinner, celebrating the 60th anniversary, was held as a private dinner on the rooftop of Santa Maria delle Grazie, the church known for its depiction of Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece "The Last Supper". This special venue happened to be decorated by Japanese creators, as Ambientec sponsored the adorning of the venue with 120 TURN+ lamps, designed by Nao Tamura, while plant artist Satoshi Kawamoto took charge of table-top decorations. Stemming from this, the first collaborative installation with Kawamoto will be exhibited in TOKYO. (Directed by Nao Tamura, Venue provided by SEMPRE DESIGN)
PATIO PETITE at GINZA innit
Venue： GINZA innit 7-10-1 2F, Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
A special outdoor furniture exhibition of PATIO PETITE will be held at “upstairs outdoor living,” a lifestyle store on the 2nd floor of “GINZA innit” run by Sugita Ace. On display will be the PATIO PETITE WA Series by TORAFU ARCHITECTS Inc., developed with Sugita Ace, and the PATIO PETITE MA Series by SUPPOSE DESIGN OFFICE. A variety of plants from FUGA will also fill the space
ART
Enjoy art in the city in autumn, from interactive installations to established galleries
FEEL HOTEL TOGETHER at all day place shibuya
Directed by A Green’s Scenting Designer MEGUMI FUKATSU, “FEEL HOTEL TOGETHER,” an installation themed on the merging and connection of the five senses, will be held at all day place shibuya. A diverse group of next-generation designers and artists will come together to create works of art. Besides exhibits at the reception and in guest rooms, there will be exhibition rooms for visitors to stay overnight. Experience of “sensory mariage” with professionals of taste will also be provided at coffee stand, beer bar and dining in the hotel.
Venue：all day place shibuya 1-17-1, Shibuya, Shibuya-ku Tokyo
Rooms for exhibiting artworks (Open to the public): 1 room （12:00～19:00）
Rooms for exhibiting artworks (overnight stay possible, reservation required). ：3rooms
Other exhibitions: hotel reception on 2F, café on 1F, restaurant on 2F. Accommodation reservations and other enquiries：https://www.uds-hotels.com/all-day-place/
Julian Opie at MAHO KUBOTA GALLERY
MAHO KUBOTA GALLERY, located in Jingumae, an area of cultural crossover where Harajuku and Aoyama in Central Tokyo, will hold a solo exhibition of new paintings and new animations featuring “Dance", by Julian Opie, one of the UK’s leading contemporary artists today. Opie uses pictograms and simple drawings and coloring reminiscent of anime to simplify the main artistic motifs of ancient times, such as landscapes and the human figure. This style of expression that employs minimal detail is continuing to garner support in both the art world and the broader cultural scene. Julian Opie will be visiting Japan for this exhibition.
Venue：2-4-7 Jingumae Shibuya-ku Tokyo Japan Period：10/21（Fri.）～11/26（Sat.）2022
Julian Opie. Dance 1 figure 1 step 2. 2022.
Vinyl on aluminium stretcher. 210 x 100 cm
The Future Eternal
A Lighthouse called Kanata, a contemporary art gallery that introduces Japanese artists to the world, is bringing together works by up-and-coming artists in The Future Eternal exhibition. Rather than following the transient trends of contemporary art, the highlight of the exhibition is the universal yet progressive abstract works that connect the past and the future. The exhibition will feature ambitious three-dimensional and two-dimensional works that combine materials and outstanding techniques to embellish contemporary spaces.
Venue：A LIGHTHOUSE CALLED KANATA Kasumicho Terrace 6F, 3-24-20, Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku Tokyo Period：10/21（Fri.）～10/29（Sat.）2022
emergence by Osamu Yokoyama (2022)
OMOTESANDO REPLICA
松田優と谷雄一郎によるデザインスタジオ「UO」が、2022年8月10日AM10：48に、表参道ヒルズ前の歩道の植込み(35°39‘59.6“N 139°42’35.6”E)で拾った枝を、2000本に複製し連結したアート作品。無限の空間のほんの一点と、刻々と変化し続ける時間の一点との唯一性を極大化しているこのオブジェクトが、表参道ヒルズの本館 吹抜け大階段に出現する。
会場：表参道ヒルズ 東京都渋谷区神宮前4-12-10 本館 吹抜け大階段
Tokyo Midtown will exhibit works of two creator groups featuring
“Design for Sustainable Future”
Venue: TOKYO MIDTOWN, Galleria 2F
in front of Aēsop store
9-7-1, Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo
The series sea is an effort by ambi to realize the charm of STUDIO RELIGHT's activities through design, using recycled glass from waste fluorescent lamps that have been properly processed by STUDIO RELIGHT's parent company, Sawaya Co. The glass is molded from a lump of glass to maximize the uniqueness of color and bubbles of recycled glass. For some of the works, sand molds were used as casting molds, for texture, and to easily recycle after use. Each work represents different scenes of the “sea.”
“FLOW”- Fluid material cycle - by DAISUKE YAMAMOTO
Venue: TOKYO MIDTOWN, Galleria 2F in front of lucien pellat-finet, 9-7-1, Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo
This project began with the awareness that everyday recyclable construction materials are disposed then new construction begins, so-called “scrap and build”. In this situation, he shed light on the most used and at the same time disposed material, LGS( Lightweight Gauge Steel ).This product series “FLOW” came to life from this process, challenging in realizing fluid material cycle that prevents any kind of industrial waste disposal.
DESIGNART TOKYO 2022 OFFICIAL PARTNERS
Perrier-Jouët is the Official Champagne of DESIGNART TOKYO 2022
Pernod Ricard Japan K.K.’s prestige Champagne house, Perrier-Jouët, will be sponsoring DESIGNART TOKYO 2022 again as the official champagne. Planted Air, a commissioned artwork by Garance Vallée, a French artist who has attracted attention for her mysterious worldview, will be exhibited at ISETAN SALONE (Tokyo Midtown, 1st floor) during the event. The world premiere of the artwork will be accompanied by a limited-edition collaboration product, Perrier-Jouët Blanc de Blancs by Garance Vallée, which will be on sale at the venue. Union Square Tokyo (Tokyo Midtown B1F) will also host a by-the-glass fair for Perrier-Jouët Blanc de Blancs.
BLUE BOTTLE COFFEE 5 stores become Official Cafes of DESIGNART TOKYO 2022
The five BLUE BOTTLE COFFEE cafes in Aoyama, Roppongi, Ginza, Hiroo, and Shibuya, become official cafes where you can stop by during your stroll of exhibitions, of DESIGNART TOKYO 2022. If you show the official DESIGNART Instagram account at the cashier during the exhibition, you will receive a piece of "Blue Bottle Yokan," (Japanese traditional sweets by bean paste shop in Horikawa Sanjo, Kyoto for over 60 years) that goes well with coffee, for every drink ordered. You can take it home or enjoy it at the cafe while enjoying design and art exhibitions.
"Taroma," an aroma brand from Toyama Prefecture, and designer Ryuya Yamada will present a glass aroma diffuser at AOYAMA cafe. The exhibition Wind Whisperer: Confiding the Wind by Studio POETIC CURIOSITY will be held at Shibuya Cafe and Kitaya Park. Viewers can experience that the words of their thoughts and feelings whispered into this interactive work, will be transformed into bubbles and blown away. Roppongi Cafe will exhibit DIG-DUG, a new work by Atsushi Shindo, who is engaged in the design of commercial facilities as an interior designer while also presenting interior objects and artworks from his personal projects.
Studio POETIC CURIOSITY photo by Mina Asaba
※Please note that all other cafes are not eligible for this offer.
For more information about Designart Tokyo, please visit: https://designart.jp/
The first Ace Hotel in Canada has opened in Toronto
Ace Hotel Toronto stands as testament to the quiet but regenerative power that thoughtful architecture and design can have on its environment. Set in the heart of Toronto’s historic Garment District – a neighborhood fueled by innovation and industry at the start of the 20th century – the building’s character and material palette recall the robustness of the surrounding brick-and-beam factories and warehouses.
Ace Hotel Toronto — the brand’s inaugural home in Canada — opens its doors o July 26, 2022. The 123-room ground-up project was designed by revered Toronto firm Shim-Sutcliffe Architects, led by Brigitte Shim and Howard Sutcliffe, recipients of numerous awards including the 2021 Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s Gold Medal, the nation’s highest honour for architecture. Anchoring the building is Alder, a seasonal wood-fired restaurant from critically acclaimed chef Patrick Kriss, which will open for dinner service on August 9. Chef Patrick also helms the menus for The Lobby, as well as the hotel’s rooftop bar and lounge, Evangeline, opening later this year.
Ace Hotel Toronto stands in the city’s historic Garment District, a neighbourhood ignited by innovation and industry at the start of the 20th century, once a manufacturing centre that grew into an influential artistic hub. At a nexus of neighbourhoods including Queen West, Downtown and Chinatown, and within walking distance of famed music venues, galleries, bars and restaurants, the hotel joins an area long defined by many of the independently minded and community-focused institutions that form the city’s cultural backbone. Ace Hotel Toronto stands as testament to the quiet but regenerative power that thoughtful architecture and design can have on its environment. Set in the heart of Toronto’s historic Garment District – a neighborhood fueled by innovation and industry at the start of the 20th century – the building’s character and material palette recall the robustness of the surrounding brick-and-beam factories and warehouses.
“Long a leading global light for its forward-thinking approach to city-making and design, Toronto is
a city that embraces originality and is rooted in the same open-to-all philosophy that founded Ace.
We could not be more proud to open Ace Hotel Toronto — the architectural magnificence of Shim-
Sutcliffe Architects’ work has created a bona fide wonder. They have built an inherently civic space
that respects the neighbourhood’s storied past while nurturing its future. Likewise, Chef Patrick Kriss
has worked in tandem with our team to create something exceptional at Alder, a restaurant with an
honest reverence of seasons and quality. It is with great gratitude to the gifts of friends near and far
that we welcome all to finally fill this remarkable space.”
ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
Although a new building, the robust, solid architecture of Ace Hotel Toronto was designed to convey timelessness, and feels effortlessly at home amongst its surroundings. Shim-Sutcliffe Architects’ work — imbued with modesty, honesty, and an appreciation of place, as exemplified by the studio’s famed Integral House — evokes a particularly Canadian spirit and feeling. The building’s red brick facade recalls the important role bricks pressed from Don Valley clay played in forming the city’s visual identity, and guests entering the lobby catch a glimpse of Horizon Line, a three-story site-specific art installation abstractly representing Lake Ontario’s glittering waters, designed by A. Howard Sutcliffe. A rhythmic series of soaring, poured-in-place, concrete structural arches rise from the semi-subterranean restaurant to a level above. The Lobby, clad in red oak lining and inspired in form by a wooden tray, is suspended by slender steel rods from these massive supports and offers guests a variety of viewpoints and scales within the impressive space. With a sun-dappled seating area replete with vintage and custom Atelier Ace furnishings, and views overlooking the neighbourhood green space St. Andrew’s Playground Park, The Lobby is rich with texture and warmth, offering space for life to take place.
At its heart, Ace Toronto is a civic space built for gathering and trading in words, intimacies and bright ideas. A meeting of rough-hewn textures and sleek comforts, the hotel’s interiors, designed by Atelier Ace, take their cues from the city’s legacy of manufacturing and textiles as well as Ontario’s landscape of dense forests and looping riverways. Ace Toronto’s original art program features pieces by nearly 40 artists, the majority of whom share ties to the city. The far-reaching works enrich the hotel’s public and private spaces and glow of humanity.
Guest suites are conceived as restful urban cabins, with Douglas fir panelling, copper accents, custom Shim- Sutcliffe lighting and side tables, and deep-set window benches built into the structure offering connection to the city’s shifting seasons and light. Considered material, constructed time, tremendous shifts of scale and sensitivity to place coalesce at Ace Hotel Toronto, bringing a future-facing structure and unprecedented creative centre to the city.
FOOD & BEVERAGE
Chef-Partner Patrick Kriss oversees all dining menus at Ace Hotel Toronto, working with Executive Chef Devin Murphy, who runs daily kitchen operations, and Pastry Chef Victoria Ammendolia. Widely regarded as one of the world’s top culinary talents, Chef Patrick holds the distinction of being awarded the title of “Outstanding Chef” by Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants consecutively from 2017-2020. His flagship Toronto restaurant, Alo, holds a rare four-star rating from The Globe & Mail, and in addition to Alo, Chef Patrick and his Alo Food Group own the popular and critically acclaimed local restaurants, Aloette, Salon and Alobar Yorkville.
Alder aims to be an all-day hangout for Toronto, a welcoming, relaxed respite for both neighbours and farflung visitors. At the heart of the restaurant is its signature wood-fired hearth and grill, from which seasonal ingredients are gently transformed by open flame and smoke. For the menu, Chef Patrick draws inspiration from the gastronomic traditions and techniques long-practised in and around the Mediterranean. Highlights from the dinner menu include Half Grilled Chicken with harissa jus; Grilled Red Pepper Carpaccio with garlic, olive, anchovy and paprika; and for dessert, gluten-free Coconut Cream Pie and Dark Chocolate and Peanut Mille-Feuille. Alder also features a full bar program pouring classically inspired cocktails — such as the Tyrian with absinthe verte, browned yoghurt, pineapple and roasted coffee cream — local craft beers, and an eclectic selection of wines spanning a range of styles, varietals and both established and up-and-coming vintners.
Alder’s house red and white wines are specially blended and bottled for the restaurant by famed Canadian winery Pearl Morissette. Beverage Manager James Park oversees the bar program, and Sommelier Arashasp Shroff curates the wines. Alder opens for dinner August 9 with breakfast, lunch and brunch to come. Dinner reservations are now open, and can be booked via Alder’s Tock page.
Continuing a long-standing Ace tradition of open community spaces, The Lobby is a stunning meeting spot offering a menu of pastries and locally roasted Sam James Coffee in the morning, followed by craft cocktails, wines by the glass, beers, snacks and shareable small plates later on. Menu highlights include Tuna Tartare with caper, parsley and crispy shallot; Alder Burger with griddled smoked havarti, bomba mayo and pickles; Potato Flatbread with lardo, rosemary and chili; an Everything Bagel Croissant; a Miso, Sesame and Ginger Cookie; and for drinks, the Ace Martini with local gin or vodka, vermouth blend, mastica and tarragon brine; and the nonalcoholic Good Vibes Only with spirit-free tequila, fermented pineapple, citrus and chili. The Lobby also features a robust calendar of music, arts and cultural programming. It’s open daily from 7AM–11PM, walk-in service only, with private space rental available. Located 14 stories high, rooftop bar and lounge Evangeline offers sweeping views of the surrounding cityscape.
The 80-seat lounge is spread across a cosy indoor area and an open-air patio, with DJs taking to Evangeline’s decks every weekend. A site of light-hearted fun and eats, Evangeline will serve snackable finger foods and small plates, along with beer, cocktails and wines by the glass. Evangeline will officially open later this year and will be open late night year-round.
Located 14 stories high, rooftop bar and lounge Evangeline offers sweeping views of the surrounding cityscape. The 80-seat lounge is spread across a cosy indoor area and an open-air patio, with DJs taking to Evangeline’s decks every weekend. A site of light-hearted fun and eats, Evangeline will serve snackable finger foods and small plates, along with beer, cocktails and wines by the glass. Evangeline will officially open later this year and will be open late night year-round.
Reservations are available for booking at acehotel.com/toronto, with rates starting at $399 CAD / $305 USD.
Ace Hotel Toronto is developed in partnership with Zinc Developments and Alterra Group.
Address: 51 Camden Street, Toronto, ON, M5V 1V2
Website: www.acehotel.com/toronto
For more details, please stay tuned for our online magazine.
ABOUT ACE HOTEL
Ace Hotel reimagines urban spaces for people who make cities interesting. Our approach to all our projects is simple — we seek to genuinely embrace local culture in the areas we inhabit. We bring together narratives, artists and materials that speak to the building, to the site and to the city. From there, we welcome in the alchemy that’s created. Our worlds are vast and dynamic. We build relationships with a wide range of people — makers, thinkers, creative do-it-yourselfers in the fields of art, technology, music, fashion, media and gastronomy. We are curious about the history and geography of the buildings and neighbourhoods we inhabit, and let these guide us to someplace new. By honouring the architectural, social history of a site, with an eye for the future that envisions respectful and nuanced dedication to a community, we create inspired spaces full of local art, intentional design and curious possibilities.
Ace was founded in Belltown, Seattle in 1999, with current locations in Seattle, Portland, New York, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Kyoto, Brooklyn, Sydney and Toronto.
Sumei Skyline Coast Boutique Hotel Designed by GS Design.
The project is located nearby the “The Skyline Coast,” a popular tourist attraction in Sanya, Hainan, enjoying vast and open seascape and surrounded by the lovely sound of crashing waves, which can relieve people’s spirits in the immersive blue natural ambience. The designer offers two interpretations for the façade structure of this project from different aspects. About the exteriors, it looks like the ocean waves rising and falling along the shore; for the interiors, each peak of the ocean wave encloses an independent frame, presenting vivid pictures of the infinite blue ocean.
The project is located nearby the “The Skyline Coast,” a popular tourist attraction in Sanya, Hainan, enjoying vast and open seascape and surrounded by the lovely sound of crashing waves, which can relieve people’s spirits in the immersive blue natural ambience. The designer offers two interpretations for the façade structure of this project from different aspects. About the exteriors, it looks like the ocean waves rising and falling along the shore; for the interiors, each peak of the ocean wave encloses an independent frame, presenting vivid pictures of the infinite blue ocean.
The designer excels at supporting spatial vibe with a pure white tone to present a specific and strong contrast with the sky, seascape and sunset, ensuring a photographic background for all scenes and settings. “We work to craft the space into a timely and sophisticated art piece with a long lifespan of usage by adopting this classic colour.” So says the designer on the concept.
The blue sky, vast ocean, beach and palm are collected within the arch-shaped frame to perfection, thanks to the precise aesthetic proportion. Wandering by the consecutive arch-shaped windows, people are offered a broad vision of pure white, enjoying vivid natural scenes everywhere within the area.
In functionality, the B1 floor exists as a bar and infinity pool complex, which opens in different periods respectively or serves as a proper place for pool parties thanks to the free layout with fewer partitions. Furthermore, the swimming pool visually integrates with the boundless ocean and the infinite blue sky, presenting a natural experience of swimming freely in the vast ocean.
The champagne bottle-style matrix and the golden colour complement each other to embellish the space in such a pure white context. People can appreciate the best sunset anywhere in the area when walking, standing, sitting, or even swimming. With a glass of wine, splendid natural lights and scenes, the romantic vibe in the space deserve every moment.
When people’s sight extends from the infinity pool and meets the invisible connection of pure white and blue, it would turn their perception and imagination to the roof deck.
With broad view on the roof deck of overlooking the misty green hills from afar and enjoy the vast and boundless sea in a near sight, the designer has developed the landscape to the most by dividing the space into many aesthetic settings including viewing, seating, hot spring bathing, photography areas, immersing people in a Mykonos vibe.
The shallow water works as a mirror of the sky, the stone steps and the sunken seating area express the space order, and the arch installation forms a photograph spot… It provides a chill and relaxing interactive scene in such a fusion of nature and art.
With the broad view on the roof deck overlooking the misty green hills from afar and enjoying the vast and boundless sea in near sight, the designer has developed the landscape to the most by dividing the space into many aesthetic settings, including viewing, seating, hot spring bathing, photography areas, immersing people in a Mykonos vibe.
The shallow water works as a mirror of the sky, the stone steps and the sunken seating area express the space order, and the arch installation forms a photograph spot… It provides a chill and relaxing interactive scene in a fusion of nature and art.
The designer deconstructed the art with simple graphic morphemes, depicted circles inside the square, and made them overlap to form a loop, ensuring an in-depth vertical layered vision effect in the hot spring area. The shifting of light and shadow depicts poetry on the spatial structure; the silhouette of the waves, the afterglow of the sunset, and the ripples of the hot spring pool are all intersections of time and space.
Geometric elements such as circles, semi-circles, and squares are each a single frame, forming a three-dimensional and dramatic aesthetic scale by placing them in the back of the space.
The designer took off the visible door in the transition area of the arch to highlight the free and natural structure in the entry, making people linger in the pure white secret wonderland. Enjoying the seascape with a clear mind. The designer maximized the introduction of natural light and sea level and created a subtle perception of the scenery from various perspectives through the height difference of different furniture. When lying on the bed, people can enjoy the sparkling artistic conception at any time with their sight level up with the sea horizon.
Project Information
Project: Sumei Skyline Coast Boutique Hotel, Sanya
Location: Tianya Dristrict, Sanya, Hainan
Project Area: 3200m²
Project Status: Built
Completion Date: Dec. 2021
Owner: Sumei Skyline Coast Boutique Hotel， Sanya
Interiors and Furnishing: GS Design
Design Directors: Liangchao Li, Yuanman Huang
Furnishing Director: Yu Feng
Design Team: Chao Li, Zigeng Luo
Architecture: GS Design
Photograhy: Ao Xiang