Magazin

September is approaching and with it the supersalone – a highly anticipated event that brings the design scene back together in Milan after the dry spell of the last few months. In addition to the exhibition at the fairgrounds, you can look forward to a wide range of events in the city. We show you which events you should not miss.

Individually configurable products and services are much in demand – be it in designing furniture, muesli or cars. What opportunities does this mass customization create for manufacturers and customers alike? And has it been successful in the market thus far? We asked Prof. Frank Piller, Co-Director of the Institute for Technology and Innovation Management (TIM) at RWTH Aachen University.

From 9 to 11 September 2021, current questions about urban development will be discussed in Frankfurt am Main as part of the new festival "S.O.U.P. – Shaping Our Urban Phuture". An interdisciplinary mediation involving citizens is planned.

How can compact luxury be redefined? The Stealth Building in New York City by WORKac supplies a highly varied answer.

Architect Stefano Boeri is curating the supersalone, an extraordinary event of the Salone del Mobile, which will take place in Milan from 5 to 10 September 2021. He explains to us in an interview what his concept is for the dynamic format and why the international furniture fair should also present itself in a more low-threshold way in the future.

Munich-based Spaciv are aiming to use a digital tool to counter wasted space. We spoke to founder and architect Malte Köditz about the idea behind it.

Atelier 522 has built a stilt house in Markdorf in the Lake Constance district near the Gehrenberg that continues the building tradition of the region in a modern way.

The Mexican Tatiana Bilbao exemplifies a young generation of architects. The Architekturzentrum in Vienna is now dedicating an exhibition to her and showing the history of the development of her projects.

From a work sofa to a modular, screened-off retreat: the "Insit-Screen" wall elements for Wilkhahn's modular "Insit" bench system can be used to create variable room scenarios.

The new "AXOR One" collection by Barber Osgerby exemplifies AXOR's "Compact Luxury" project. We spoke with Jay Osgerby about new interaction possibilities in the bathroom and the future definition of luxury.

As a young graduate of the Design Academy Eindhoven, Paulien Nabben sees her task in the careful design of her environment in order to strengthen the well-being of all of us in this way. The designer is not only fascinated by the complexity of natural systems, she also wants to explore their behaviour and interactions.

MINI has teamed up with British fashion designer Paul Smith to design the MINI STRIP. The result shows how aesthetic and simultaneously sustainable a successful pared-down product can be.

Sebastian Herkner pays homage to the painter and sculptor Imi Knoebel with the handmade ceramic "imi" side tables for pulpo.

To cope with the rapid pace of urban growth in Amsterdam, more and more islands are being developed to the east of the city’s old town. There are plans to erect 28 high-rises on one such island, a measure which could transform Zeeburgereiland into a new Manhattan – albeit onewhere the buildings meet strict ecological criteria.

Studio Ben Allen has painstakingly modernized a terraced Victorian house in London and added an extension to it, one that combines various different styles. “House Recast” recently received the 2021 “Don't Move, Improve” award.

For many years, material scientists have been researching ways of replacing reinforced concrete with a sustainable alternative. Currently carbon fiber is high on the agenda: The first model house by the TU Dresden is soon to be completed.

3D-printed buildings are shooting up like mushrooms at the moment. We cast a glance at the technology behind them and the new options this creates for architects.

With "BetteAntirutschSense", Bette has created a new surface for all shower trays and bathtubs in glossy colours that offers the highest level of slip resistance on glazed titanium steel.

Gonzalez Haase AAS have fitted out a boutique in Berlin with a polychrome colour concept, light lines and sculptural furnishings that effectively showcase the MDC cosmetic range.

TRIQ GmbH has developed "TRIQBRIQ", a patented timber construction system for which weak and damaged wood is used as a recyclable building material. The goal is climate-neutral buildings that promote a rethink in the construction industry. Managing Director Max Wörner explains the concept in an interview.

A virtual workspace for the architecture, construction and design industry: SpaceForm is the name of the project currently being developed by UNStudio, BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group and the creative studio Squint/Opera.

Four young designers we want to see, read and hear more of in the future.

Construction is becoming increasingly complicated. It is the objective of the research buildings in Bad Aibling to demonstrate that making things more straightforward is just as much of a possibility. We spoke to architect Florian Nagler about what the above pilot program is aiming at.

With its Dondola hinge Wagner encourages dynamic sitting and actively promotes a healthy back.

Stylepark raffles off one "BM0488S Table Bench" by Carl Hansen & Søn.

Sweden will soon offer a new design festival: the first edition of the Stockholm Creative Edition will take place from 23 to 29 September 2021 and is to be repeated on an annual basis.

Contemporary African architecture is fascinatingly diverse and combines tradition and the present. Nevertheless, the trend-setting designs often receive little attention in Europe. A new architectural guide now offers a unique documentation of the most important buildings in the 49 countries of sub-Saharan Africa.

Ligne Roset has expanded its “Taru” collection by Sebastian Herkner to include an armchair and a sofa. The furniture’s design succeeds in striking a balance between overall coherence and items each with a character of its own.

Gira stands for innovative building automation and control plus top-quality products combined with an attractive design. We talked to Architecture Media Manager Julian Waning about the company’s new image campaign.

Darmstadt's Mathildenhöhe recently became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This designation honors an architectural ensemble that exemplifies the artistic spirit of optimism of the young 20th century.

AXOR’s "Compact Luxury" looks at the future of urban life. A prime example is the Stairway House in Tokyo by Nendo Design Studio, which reinterprets the idea of community.

David Chipperfield Architects have converted a former monastery complex in Paderborn into a company headquarters. The result is a lesson in sensitive deconstruction.

The Nové Hamry weekend house in the Czech Ore Mountains, designed by architects New How, is the architectural response to the natural environment: aerodynamic but angular in design, classic elements such as the roof and wall step back in favour of a clear language of form, thus blending together for the eye of the beholder.

Maria Porro is the Salone del Mobile.Milano’s new president.

Holzrausch – are founders Tobias Petri and Sven Petzold, are craftsmanship, cabinetmaking, outfitting, architecture, and interior design. One of the pioneering projects, the “J. Gast” kitchen system that they developed with Office Heinzelmann Ayadi and Relvão Kellermann is set to enter stores later this year.