A new concept in furnishing: designed by Sybarite

To celebrate the 70th edition of Pitti Uomo (the most important men’s fashion event worldwide held in Florence), Marzorati Ronchetti has entrusted Sybarite with the task of creating a design concept which
sits on the borderline between business, leisure, entertainment, and hospitality. All of this is expressed in an organic and free-flowing form with great technological potential.

It is called Archetto and is conceived as an independent module which can furnish a multi-functional environment. In fact by means of a few simple decorative elements a coherent environmental identity is created.

Archetto can be tailored by the inclusion of loudspeakers and a wireless connection, to meet all needs in a single space. These technical features make Archetto suitable for bars, restaurants, public areas in hotels and also places of entertainment.

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Spanish Furniture at MAISON & OBJET

From January 21st to 25th, at MAISON & OBJET, Paris will become the trendiest showcase for Spanish Furniture.

Under the brand MUEBLE DE ESPAÑA, more than 20 Spanish companies, the second largest contingent after France, will present their most cutting-edge collections in a wide range of styles, materials and finishes at Paris-Nord Villepinte fairground.

Creative, unique and different: these are the words that best define “Made in Spain” interior offer. From glamorous living spaces to cool contemporary furniture, MUEBLE DE ESPAÑA has something for every taste and satisfies every curiosity. Occasional furniture, decorative items, outdoor furniture, avant-garde and classical collections. The most imaginative and refreshing trends of Spanish Furniture in close collaboration with some of the hottest designers at the moment will find their best display in Paris.

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The Sofitel Stephansdom Hotel and Artica chairs

The Sofitel Stephansdom Hotel in Vienna was opened last December 14th - it is the latest project of the French architect Jean Nouvel (2008 Pritzker Prize).


This sophisticated hotel is housed in Stilwerk, an 18-story building which also includes 2 restaurants and 30 exclusive shops, and is one of the largest showcases dedicated to design.


Undoubtedly, the centrepiece of the project and the most impressive area is the viewpoint-restaurant Le Loft located on the top floor, with wonderful views of the Austrian capital. But the views are not the only thing that makes of Le Loft a very special place. The decoration is also a factor, and to a great degree - especially the ceilings of the Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist and the Sancal furniture: 114 Artica chairs and 66 Vela-Dora tables in a rich, cool grey.

Jean Nouvel chose Artica chairs for their cubic design and clean lines. During the press conference, before the inauguration, the architect was seated in one as he met the press.

The singular trapezoidal floor and a steel and glass façade, which are perfectly integrated with the environment and the way in which light changes the colours of the building as the day goes on, make Stilwerk the new symbol of the city and set it in the higher echelons of architecture.


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Design Academy Eindhoven to introduce expertise-based structure

Design Academy Eindhoven is introducing an expertise-based structure, with the Executive Board consisting of two people starting from the middle of March. Chair of the Board Anne Mieke Eggenkamp will be focusing specifically on education, internationalisation, and external relations. Newcomer Igor van Hooff will be responsible for operational affairs. Directly below Board level, separate from the administrative layer, the Academy is creating the roles of Curator and Connector.

The new roles will be filled on a part-time basis by two Academy department heads; for now they will be appointed for a period of two years. After this period, other department heads may be fulfilling the roles of Curator and Connector. Ilse Crawford, head of the Man and Well Being department, will take on the role of Academy Curator alongside her position as head tutor. The role applies to both exhibitions such as Milan and the Graduation Show, as well as to other expressions that will increase the Academy’s visibility to the world. Walter Amerika, head of
Market, will be specifying the role of Connector. With Anne Mieke Eggenkamp, Ilse and Walter will form the Design Academy Eindhoven’s creative conscience.

Chair of the Board Anne Mieke Eggenkamp: “By opting for this structure we are using the expert’s talents in very specific ways without burdening them with administrative tasks and responsibilities.
Our choice was based in part on the system we have had for years of making of the department heads share in the responsibility for the Academy’s strategic developments. As a Centre of Excellence in design education, in order to become even better at using, developing and sharing our experience and expertise with others we will have to excel at every level: education, execution, operations and rganisation.”

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The exhibition:“Sensitive Matter: Young Catalan Architects”

Between 14th and 16th of January AEDES NETWORK CAMPUS BERLIN (ANCB) (Christinenstr.18-19, 10119 Berlin) displays the exhibition “Sensitive Matter: Young Catalan Architects” on current Catalan architecture.
The exhibition is opening the European project for the diffusion of young architecture, “Import /Export”, and shows the work of 10 studios between 30 and 40 years which share a common conceptual and material approach to architecture. This group of architects has a singular identity which is able to answer global architecture's present challenges, taking advantage of the local conditions (terrain and climate), and culture (constructive tradition, resources, values...).

The selected studios are: Arquitectures.Bosch.Capdeferro (Bet Capdeferro, Ramon Bosch); Núria Salvadó + David Tapias; DataAE (Claudi Aguiló, Albert Domingo); David Sebastian + Gerard Puig; Harquitectes (David Lorente, Josep Ricart, Xavier Ros, Roger Tudó); Emiliano López + Mónica Rivera; Francisco Cifuentes, Josep Bunyesc; TEd'A Arquitectes (Raimon Farré, Jaume Mayol, Irene Pérez) and unparelld'arquitectes (Eduard Callís, Guillem Moliné). Housing, public buildings or landscape are included.


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The Hotel in Linz received the accolade as the Building of the Year

The Hotel in Linz by Hohensinn Architektur recently received the
accolade as the "Building of the Year" in the framework of the state culture awards 2010. The hotel is located directly next to Austria's largest church, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, and blends in perfectly with the city's redesigned Domplatz that brings together baroque, neo-gothic and ultra-modern architecture.


The top quality hotel receives its guests with a cosy atmosphere and reserved design. The light, warm rooms and suites stand out with a modern concept.
The classic dish basins by Alape, to be found in the bathrooms of the 70 hotel rooms, round off the reduced approach.
The wafer-thin, filigree dish structures of glazed steel stand out with their manufactory quality, while their durable and hardwearing properties make them simply ideal for use in hotels. The strength and elasticity of structured steel, combined with the chemical resistance of glass, make basins and washstands absolutely shock- and scratchproof.
An additional water-repellent glaze finish prevents any dirt and limescale
deposits on the basin.

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Igor van Hooff appointed member of the Executive Board

Igor van Hooff will take up office at Design Academy Eindhoven in mid-March 2011 and will become a member of the Executive Board.

He will be the person on the Executive Board in charge of operational affairs. Chair of the Board Anne Mieke Eggenkamp will be focussing more explicitly on education, internationalisation and external relations. Igor van Hooff is currently active as regional director at Randstad.

Igor is 40 years old, is married with three children and lives in the Eindhoven area. After completing his degree in public administration at Radboud University Nijmegen he started working at Randstad, where he has filled a range of management positions during a 14-year period, since several years as regional director.

Anne Mieke Eggenkamp is delighted with the arrival of the new director: “To be a Çentre of Excellence in design education, and to continue to be one, we must strive for excellence in our operational processes as well. The academy has now opted for an expert in this field, who can help us reach a sustainable balance between quality, people, and resources.”

Design Academy Eindhoven trains individuals to connect with the world through integrity, courage, and understanding. The academy currently holds around 700 students, divided between its Bachelor’s and Master’s courses.
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Onlyglass Mediafasade – the future of digital facade installations

World premiere: BAU, Munich, 19th of January 2011, room 52, 11 am

Rio de Janeiro, Maracanã Stadium, July 13, 2014: It’s the World Cup final and the host country Brazil is facing Germany. In Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and other cities, thousands of fans have gathered in front of the major department stores and office buildings to watch the live broadcast of the match on the facades…

Rio de Janeiro, Maracanã Stadium, July 13, 2014: It’s the World Cup final and the host country Brazil is facing Germany. In Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and other cities, thousands of fans have gathered in front of the major department stores and office buildings to watch the live broadcast of the match on the facades…

Our vision of the future is admittedly a little speculative. Of course we do not know what teams will be playing in the World Cup final in just over three and a half years. What we do know, however, is that by that time not only public viewing but also urban multimedia communication in general will have taken on a completely new dimension. We know this because the future of digital façade installations has already begun today – with ONLYGLASS MEDIAFACADE.

ONLYGLASS MEDIAFACADE is the first digital media façade of its kind to be launched on the global market. It is unique because it can be integrated in the architecture of buildings rather than just being used to alter their existing exteriors. The key feature of ONLYGLASS MEDIAFACADE displays is that they are an innovative combination of LED monitor and insulating glass, thereby replacing traditional glazing systems. The displays boast not only a high level of transparency and translucency but also brilliant image quality.

The bare facts speak for themselves. Depending on the chosen pixel pitch (minimum 20mm with unlimited scalability), a transparency level of between 80% and 96% can be achieved. Combined with approx. 1 billion possible colors (10 bit), ONLYGLASS MEDIAFACADE is the most efficient transparent media facade available – proving its excellent quality both day and night.

Installed as an interface between the exterior and interior of a building, this new medium offers untold visual possibilities. Depending on the given requirements, the façade of the building can switch between a large-scale display screen and a display window. It can serve both as a screen for presenting light shows and images and as an opaque protective shell, or it can simply function as a dematerialized membrane, surprising onlookers by revealing the interior of the building.

The media facade can also play a more modest role where special requirements have to be fulfilled, such as those of heritage protection. ONLYGLASS MEDIA FACADE allows existing buildings to be modernized without any resulting visual distortions or necessary structural modifications. Due to its minimal additional weight, ONLYGLASS MEDIA FACADE can normally be installed in existing or new buildings without affecting the structural load. The intelligent control system, the extensive lifespan, and the sophisticated repair and maintenance concept guarantee that the economic and ecological requirements of our time are met in full.

Due to progress being made in media technology, the face of our inner cities is changing fast and a new architectural awareness is prevailing. Not so long ago, factories and railway stations were considered as the »cathedrals of our modern times«. Now, however, it is the turn of department stores and office towers. It is our conviction that ONLYGLASS MEDIAFACADE will play a leading role in this urban development. We have a vision that the visual interplay of dynamic and static, visible and invisible, will allow the ancient dream of the gothic church architects - who replaced walls with glass - to be realized in contemporary form.

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