Interviews

Light planner Ulrike Brandi from Hamburg has mixed feelings about the innovations in the lighting industry in recent years, arguing that energy efficiency is not everything. Uta Abendroth spoke to Ulrike Brandi about excessively bright light, light’s comforting aspects and the good old light bulb.

Christian Werner has re-engineered the sofa. Because what people expect of them has changed in the age of Smartphone, tablet PCs, etc. Today, it’s a matter of course to put your feet up, as the sofa trebles up as home office, dining venue and relaxing chaise longue. Uta Abendroth chatted with the Berlin-born designer about his latest creation, “Prado” for Ligne Roset.

What is of interest to a designer at a trade fair like the Domotex in Hanover? Uta Abendroth accompanied Petra Blaisse, founder of Amsterdam studio Inside Outside, on a tour of the fair and discussed traditiony, art works and inspiration with her. Oh, and good taste, as well.

Simon Collezione was presented in a new look at the imm cologne. Entrepreneur Dino Gavina and architect Carlo Scarpa shaped the collection that now belongs to Cassina. Thomas Edelmann spoke to Tobia Scarpa about his father, mayonnaise and opportunities for trying out the new.

Jürgen Mayer H. is the brain behind the extraordinary surface designs set to catch the eye at “Innovations@Domotex", on show as part of the upcoming Domotex. Oliver G. Hamm chatted with the Berlin-based architect about exhibition architecture and the impact the 1970s have had on his creative work.

Steffen Kehrle has landed on the floor. Or the carpet, to be precise. For “Flooring Deluxe”, the special exhibition at this year’s Domotex, the designer teamed up with Dura and together they produced creations that call to mind the paintings by Jackson Pollock. In conversation with Nora Khereddine, Kehrle explains why this collaboration is here to stay.

Domotex, second time. For the next round in January Stefan Diez is back on board. This time as the chairman of the jury of the newly-created “Innovations@Domotex” platform. The Munich-based designer chats here about his renewed involvement, the oohs and aahs of floor coverings, and his preference for made-to-fit, hand-made carpets.

Domotex is set to undergo yet another makeover in 2014. At the press conference for the new concept Robert Volhard spoke with Jochen Köckler, Board Member at Deutsche Messe AG, about trade fairs and “Innovations@Domotex”, the new communications program Deutsche Messe AG has co-developed with Stylepark.

Be it appealing street paintings, opulent façade décor or surrealist staircases, for Sabina Lang and Daniel Baumann public space is one large playground. The Swiss artist duo chats to Özlem Özdemir.

At the London Design Festival Sebastian Wrong presented his new collection “Wrong For Hay” in a stylish Georgian house at St James’s Park. Uta Abendroth spoke to him about the direction the portfolio takes, London as a location and working with the Danes.

How are changed work processes influencing the architecture of office buildings? Adeline Seidel spoke to Tom Geister, Associate at Sauerbruch Hutton Architects, about developers’ desire for flexibility and spaces that knowledge workers see as tailored to their needs.

Luminaires, chairs, cutting boards. Sebastian Bergne’s portfolio is diverse and his designs are often persuasively clever. Daniel von Bernstorff spoke with the multi-talented designer about his new role as design curator and about his love of traditional crafts workshops.

Daniel von Bernstorff, Stylepark, met Cocksedge in London to talk about his recent projects, his solo exhibition in New York and his fascination for crowd-funding.

The new Mini was from the outset a lifestyle product. And the same can be said of the “Mini Vision” study. Martina Metzner spoke to Annette Baumeister, Head of Color & Trim at Mini Design, on the patterns, colors and materials that are typical of the Mini.

Diébédo Francis Kéré’s works on the premise that building with mud and clay is not only inexpensive and sustainable; it also constitutes a unique cultural asset. Özlem Özdemir spoke to the architect from Burkina Faso about why mud’s appeal as a building material, knowledge transfer in his homeland and the responsibility to preserve one’s own culture.

The formula N = N sounds intriguing, as does the collaboration. But how did the whole thing work and what came out of it?

In times shaped by globalized markets, offering high-quality even perfect products simply doesn’t make the grade. Robert Volhard posed six questions on the future of the Italian furniture sector to Claudio Luti, the new president of Cosmit and CEO of Kartell.

Facades have long since outgrown their functions as mere outer shells for the buildings inside. For quite some time now they have been fulfilling a new function as energy suppliers. Sandra Gottwald spoke to Tina Wolf, architect and professor in the teaching and research unit for Technology and Design of Shell Constructions at Technische Universität München, about the challenges and developments in solar-optimized facades.

He produces portraits of himself as a cowboy and recreated industrial objects using clay. Jon Smith studied at the Institute of Contemporary and Interdisciplinary Art in the English city of Bath and now lives as an independent artist in the Netherlands. Nina Reetzke met him for a chat.

Marva Griffin is one of the most enigmatic personalities on the international design scene. With her curatorial skills, the native Venezuelan has made the SaloneSatellite one of the most important platforms for up-and-coming designers. She reveals her current plans to us in an interview.

It was hardly surprising that there were new Konstantin Grcic furniture designs on view in Milan. Yet "Medici", created for Mattiazzi, is nevertheless surprsing. The entire collection on offer by the company, which specializes in processing wood, is on show at Hall 20, booth F06.

For Sauerbruch Hutton, appealing to the senses and passion are integral to architecture. Sandra Hofmeister spoke to Matthias Sauerbruch about sustainability in its various facets.

In the 1950s, architect Benjamin Thompson brought European design to the United States. His "Design Research" company thereupon became legendary. Nora Sobich talked to Jane Thompson, the architect's widow, in Boston.

Piero Lissoni’s sofas have an almost legendary reputation. In the design process, he draws inspiration from the Italian lifestyle, and not boring functionalism. Sandra Hofmeister talked to the Italian designer about sofas and royalties, beauty and rituals.

British Pop Art artist Richard Hamilton designed the legendary cover of The Beatles' "White Album". The seemingly unprinted sleeve lent the album its name and set it apart optically from all the brightly colored albums. Franziska von Bethmann asked Richard Hamilton how the cover came about.

Luca Nichetto is one of the few Italian designers in the upcoming generation. Sandra Hofmeister talked to him about the life and death of his furniture, about new perspectives in Scandinavia and about the meaning and meaninglessness of national borders in design.

On behalf of Munich's Neue Pinakothek Alessandro Mendini has curated a retrospective of the last 30 years of Italian design. Sandra Hofmeister talked with him about the "Objects with a Soul" and eclecticism in design.

Dutch designer duo Scholten & Baijings add subtle patterns and colors to forms, make fabric rhubarb stalks objects of communication, envelop design classics with their "Colour Plaids" and reinterpret traditional Dutch items of furniture. At the Milan Furniture Fair, they premiered designs with Established & Sons. Markus Frenzl caught up with the designers in Rotterdam and Milan.

At the ISH Ross Lovegrove presented his new "Freedom" collection for Turkish baths maker VitrA. We talked to him about the change in bathrooms, biomorphic shapes, fat-free design, the responsibility of a star designer, and design in an age of crisis.

The cause of numerous traffic-jams is often the driver himself. Franziska Queling talked to Congestion researcher Micheal Schreckenberg about cooperatively acting ants and what lessons we can learn from them.