Interviews

Honoka Lab, a design collective from Japan, was honoured with first place at this year's SaloneSatellite Award. For their Tatami ReFAB Project, they use 3D printing technology and recycled materials to bring a centuries-old tradition into the modern age: discarded tatami mats serve as the base material for furniture.

Studio Besau Marguerre have redesigned the foyer of the MK&G in Hamburg. We spoke to Eva Marguerre and Marcel Besau about a space where you can catch your breath, about how to talk about colors while out for a walk and why sometimes you have to choose bright colors.

He is considered a master of timeless elegance, and many of his designs have been steadily produced by leading manufacturers in the Italian furniture industry: Piero Lissoni, architect, designer and creative director of seven Italian furniture brands, has apparently cracked the "classic" code for furniture design. Now Knoll is launching new outdoor furniture with a claim to imperishability.

How can your hot water supply and heating be separated in a way that is energy-efficient and what role do instantaneous water heaters play? Jörg A. Gerdes, Managing Partner of Clage, explains the principle behind the idea.

In 2021, Barbara Elwardt and Piotr Wisniewski founded weStudio in Berlin, a multidisciplinary creative studio specialising in interior design, gastronomy and the hotel industry. With a focus on art and custom-made furniture, the duo creates harmonious spaces.

Under the title "How dare you", Laufen presented an extraordinary show during Milan Design Week that included both the new collection by architects and designers Nicolo Ornaghi, Delfino Sisto Legnani and Francesco Zorzi of NM3, as well as that by artist Monique Baumann. They explain their creative approach to us in an interview.

Emanuele Stamuli is a naval architect and designs high-end stores, mainly for international, popular fashion brands, as well as residential projects and hip furniture. He tells us in an interview how he follows his own path with a rationalist approach to design, a soft spot for detail and sustainability.

What would it be like if our society were controlled exclusively by algorithms? Under the direction of Prof. Fabian Hemmert, students from the Industrial Design department at the University of Wuppertal have developed dystopian products that are intended to sharpen our view of undesirable futures.

The architects and designers Pio and Tito Toso have created the "Anemos" table for Pedrali, which expresses the material of concrete in a new way: The brothers have formed two shells from it, which are slightly rotated to provide the base for the rounded tabletop. Tito Toso explains the idea to us in an interview.

In its current exhibition "Repair Revolution!", which runs until 15 October 2023, the Museum für Gestaltung in Zurich shows how repairs can avoid waste and even create something new.

The architecture firm Snøhetta impresses with fine lighting in its powerful yet discreet projects around the world. In our interview, interior architect Peter Girgis from the Oslo headquarters talks about the influence of Nordic light, the design of luminaires and the challenges of illuminating a restaurant at the bottom of the sea.

Xaveer de Geyter Architects and Topotek 1 Architektur are the winners of the architectural competition for the entire new building of HfG, the Offenbach University of Art and Design. In the following interview Xaveer De Geyter explains their idea of a "small town around a green campus".

At Milan Design Week Brunner presented the first prototypes of “foild” – a light, adjustable room divider, the brainchild of architecture and design studio atelier oï. In this interview, designer Aurel Aebi (one of the three founders of atelier oï) and CEO Dr. Marc Brunner explain the concept.

Architecture collective AKT is collaborating with Viennese architect Hermann Czech to design the Austrian pavilion for this year’s Architecture Biennale in Venice. We talked to AKT about the project and the participative approach they take in their work.

Ulrich Blum is an architect for workplace design at Zaha Hadid Architects and holds a professorship for digital design at Münster School of Architecture. In the following interview he talks about future design scenarios and their influence on networked working environments.

Lise Vester is a young, up-and-coming designer from Denmark. In her work, she prefers to focus on lighting objects and design that have a positive effect on people’s well-being. She explains her concept in an interview.

Valentina Ciuffi and Joseph Grima are the initiators of Alcova, one of the latest exhibitions during Milan Design Week. Valentina Ciuffi tells us in an interview what visitors can expect this year at the new location.

From 18 to 23 April 2023, the Salone del Mobile.Milano will be held at the Fiera Milano Rho exhibition centre and include the Euroluce lighting biennale. Simone Farresin and Andrea Trimarchi, founders of the research-based design studio Formafantasma, have created modular exhibition designs for it. Andrea Trimarchi explains the concept to us in an interview.

The Italian family-owned company Fantini can build on strong roots: founded in 1947, the fittings manufacturer based on picturesque Lake Orta has been renowned for exceptional designs and consistently high quality since the beginning. CEO Daniela Fantini explains to us in an interview what makes Fantini different.

Architects and engineers are the kind of people who have set themselves the task of making the world a better place. But what can anybody do after having come to the realization that the world will be past saving if we carry on building at the current rate? In this interview with our author Falk Jaeger, architect and engineer Werner Sobek reveals some disturbing facts.

It is the objective of Berlin-based startup Urban Beta to create integrated, innovative, and transformative spaces. With BetaPort, the company has taken a participative approach to developing an on-demand, circular, modular timber-hybrid building system. In this interview, Marvin Bratke, managing partner at the studio, explains the concept to us.

Concular promotes circular construction, thus helping the building sector to use the available resources efficiently and to become carbon neutral in its objectives. Its digital database allows users to view those materials and products that can be reused for new projects. In this interview, Annabelle von Reutern, Head of Business Development, explains the concept to us.

At this year's ISH in Frankfurt am Main, Geberit presented a wide range of sanitary solutions and smart ideas that simplify planning as well as use and maintenance. Designer Christoph Behling has been designing for Geberit for many years and gives us an overview of the novelties in this interview.

Ole Scheeren has become widely known for projects such as the CCTV Headquarters and Guardian Art Center in Beijing as well as The Interlace residential complex in Singapore. Now the Center for Art and Media (ZKM) in Karlsruhe is showing a solo exhibition of the German architect's work until 4 June 2023.

The interdisciplinary and international team of the Vetica design studio led by Peter Wirz accompanies the development processes of industrial products in form and function – such as for the premium brand Laufen. His new collection is on show at the ISH in Frankfurt am Main from 13 to 17 March 2023.

Roca, the world’s largest manufacturer of sanitary ceramics, is expanding its portfolio of complete bathroom solutions still further. Marc Viardot, Corporate Marketing and Design Director of the Roca Group gives us an insight into the ISH trade fair appearance of the Roca brand and the philosophy of the company.

In the run-up to ISH, which will be taking place in Frankfurt am Main from March 13-17, we talked to two experts from the fields of HVAC and bathroom fitting, Jens J. Wischmann, CEO of Vereinigung Deutsche Sanitärwirtschaft e.V. (VDS), and Claudio Paulus, who is on the management board at heating and air conditioning firm E. Engelhardt GmbH + Co.KG. In the interview, the two talk about how things currently stand and about what areas will be gaining in importance.

Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine is also waged on Ukrainian architectural culture: Our author Falk Jaeger spoke to architect Philipp Meuser about the Ukrainian architectural legacy and the plans for reconstruction once the war is over.

On the occasion of the ISH, we spoke with the two expert planners Matthias Rammig and Felix Thumm from Transsolar about sensible smart building solutions in the field of water and energy for existing buildings. The world's leading trade fair for HVAC + Water will take place in Frankfurt am Main from March 13 to 17, 2023.

Kyiv-based architecture and design studio balbek bureau is committing to helping its country deal with the Russian aggression, while pursuing commercial projects of the day-to-day work at the same time. Borys Dogorov, co-founder, managing partner and Chief Operating Officer of balbek bureau, tells us about the bureau’s social projects, compiled under the umbrella RE:Ukraine.

Patrick Jouin is among the designers who are shaping the holistic change in the industry – from his participation in the first Salone Satellite in Milan to his ongoing cooperation with Pedrali. He tells us in an interview what sustainable furniture design constitutes today.

The Swedish architecture and design studio Claesson Koivisto Rune was founded in 1995 by three students: Mårten Claesson, Eero Koivisto and Ola Rune. The trio is not affected by supposed boundaries between disciplines: Their work is diverse and creates new perspectives. In the interview, Eero Koivisto looks back at the beginnings and ahead to current projects.

Gumpo offers more than do traditional office furniture makers: The products designed by Relvāokellermann can be flexibly adapted to meet architects’ wishes for each particular project. In our interview, Gumpo General Manager Sebastian Waibel told us why it is worth critically revisiting processes, and what New Work means to him.

Changing the way we understand, perceive and relate to materials: That’s the aim of Bonnie Hvillum, who’s focus is on human interaction with the world. The interdisciplinary projects she tackles straddle science, biology, chemistry, design and art.

Roberto Monti has taken over the role of CEO for Arper at the beginning of 2022 and since then has brought in a lot of dynamism. In this interview, he tells us in which direction he would like to lead the company and what significance sustainability has for him in this context.