Maharam stands for exclusive upholstery fabrics from Eames’ “Dot Pattern” to Hella Jongerius’ “Repeat Classic Stripe”. The book “Maharam Agenda” published by Michael Maharam documents the US textile manufacturer’s development from the very beginnings to the present day. As accomplished as the treatment of the textile collections and multifarious company philosophy may be, the book does not offer us a real peak behind the scenes.
A trade fair consists of individual booths. However, this is not necessarily the best possible solution, as the new "Pure Textile" section demonstrates. There you will still find any number of light, fine, spring-fresh and elegant fabrics, but they are still all isolated. Moreover, one other thing is clear: tables and sofas are clawing their way back onto the carpet.
London-based designer Cristian Zuzunaga weaves the very fabric of our cities into his textile prints. Nancy Jehmlich spoke with him about the digital age and intractable tasks.
The creations of carpet-makers Nanimarquina stand out for their marvelously designed patterns. The company has been designing, producing and distributing textiles since the 1980s. A trip into a fairytale world, on location in Spain and India.
They can be installed quickly and come in many shapes as serial productions - the inflatable structures by London company Inflate.
"Go on with your patchwork, like a little lady", wrote George Eliot, a reminder of the socially aspirational art of making quilts. This British artistic practice went on to influence crafts internationally, think of the Amish quilt. Linking art and social life at all levels, it is the subject of an ongoing exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
News & Stories
The knot and time
by Andreas Bee
Textiles, and that includes high-tech membranes and foils, have been increasingly gaining significance in contemporary architecture. In "Textile Architecture" Sylvie Krüger presents the most important applications.
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Materials that appeal to the senses
by Nancy Jehmlich
News & Stories
Less caviar, more meat & potatoes please
by Daniel von Bernstorff
The “Hallingdal 65” exhibition by Kvadrat that was held in Jil Sander’s showroom during this year’s Salone del Mobile presented conceptual designs by young designers created using a textile classic by Nanna Ditzel. And Hansjerg Maier-Aichen was in charge of selecting participants from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Text by Sandra Hofmeister and interview by Markus Frenzl.
Thomas Demand has clad the historical Metzler Hall in Frankfurt's Städel-Museum with a curtain that is no curtain but is rather a picture of one. The artwork is called "Hall" and would not have been possible without the assistance of Danish textile makers Kvadrat.
Among designers, the word "trend" is definitely a no-no to be avoided at all cost. Rightly so, as the term refers to something that purports to be new but is actually well known. Yet it is worth looking at the concept a little more closely to discern the mechanisms operating behind it.
Whether it is curtains, wallpaper or floor coverings - Frankfurt's "Heimtextil" trade fair is the perfect venue to explore the fundamental ingredients of interior design. Some of the wallpaper manufacturers' presentations were particularly impressive. And we even spotted a number of technological innovations among the umpteen books of specimens with their colorful ornaments.
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Paradise with a dotted snake
by Nina Reetzke
The Unilever Head Office in Hamburg's Havencity, designed by Behnisch Architekten, was that first office building of its kind to rely completely on LEDs for light. Moreover, a curtain of transparent high-tech plastic foil runs like a second skin across the entire facade.
The Herning Museum of Contemporary Art in Denmark, known in short as the "heart", is more than just a showplace for contemporary art. As a center of the cultures it unites exhibition rooms with nothing less than a concert hall, a library, an open-air stage and a café.
What happens if you cross BMW, Kvadrat and Flos with Patricia Urquiola and Guilio Ridolfo in order to try and develop a completely new interior design for an automobile? "The Dwelling Lab" shows you.
Despite the difficult economic situation, the world's leading textiles trade fair, the Heimtextil in Frankfurt, held steady this year. The focus was less on spectacular innovations and more on strengthening the core business, with a few exceptions, of course.
The „Water Cube" seems to be sliced from a giant cube of soap-bubble foam. This prestigious project comprises over 100,000 sq.m. of ETFE foils, meaning it is the single largest ETFE structure in the world to date.
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An industrial revolution
by Nancy Jehmlich
