PLICO CHAIR BY FABRICIUS & KASTHOLM by CARL HANSEN & SON

The Danish designer duo Fabricius & Kastholm were masters at creating honest design that beautifully highlights what other designers often seek to hide. With its visible joints, beautiful brass fittings and accomplished craftsmanship, the Plico Chair is a great example of this. The chair was first presented in 1964 when it won the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers' Guild Furniture Prize for its outstanding craftsmanship and expression. 

The idea behind the design was to create a chair that takes up as little space as possible when not in use while not compromising on comfort. Plico means 'to fold' in Latin and, despite its light exterior, the chair offers supreme comfort by virtue of its soft upholstery and features an adjustable backrest that can be completely folded. This ensures a degree of versatility rarely found in a lounge chair.

The Plico Chair is the second Fabricius & Kastholm design launched by Carl Hansen & Son following the introduction of the flexible and timeless FK Bookcase. On the thoughts behind the launch, Knud Erik Hansen, CEO of Carl Hansen & Son, says: "Fabricius & Kastholm were masters at combining the highest quality materials with sublime craftsmanship, which perfectly matches Carl Hansen & Son's DNA. The Plico Chair and FK Bookcase were created for the very same exhibition in 1964 and complement each other beautifully with their natural materials and honest design. We are therefore delighted and proud to have added another masterpiece from Fabricius & Kastholm to our collection of design classics."

About Carl Hansen & Son's relaunch of the Plico Chair, Thomas Kastholm, the son of Jørgen Kastholm, says: "The chair was a turning point in my father's work and proved to be a precursor to an international career in furniture design. I know the chair from my childhood - I played under, over, and on it, and I've always liked it. I'm therefore delighted that the chair is now being given a new lease of life."

Knud Erik Hansen, CEO of Carl Hansen & Son, concludes: "The Plico Chair is an extremely versatile piece of furniture - not only in its function of being a foldable lounge chair, but also in its appearance, and it fits elegantly into the living room, the cottage, and the hotel room and lobby. It is a comfortable and cosy chair to sit in with a good book and a cup of coffee."

PLICO CHAIR WILL BE IN STORES FROM AUGUST 2021.

PRODUCT INFO
Recommended retail price 
FK10 Plico Chair, high back: 2102,- EUR ex. VAT
FK11 Plico Chair, low back: 1861,- EUR ex. VAT
 Dimensions (cm)
FK10 Plico Chair, high back
Seat height: 37 Height: 93.5 Depth: 85 Width: 74 
FK11 Plico Chair, low back
Seat height: 37 Height: 74 Depth: 85 Width: 74

Materials
Frame: FSC-certified oak (FSC C135991), oil/white-oil
Armrests: Saddle leather
Seat and back: Canvas and linen canvas
Fittings: Brass

For more information, please visit: https://www.carlhansen.com/da-dk

Hilton Announces Signing of Fourth Resort in the Maldives

109 all-villa Hilton Maldives Amingiri will welcome guests from end 2021

Hilton (NYSE: HLT), one of the world’s fastest-growing hospitality companies, has announced the signing of a management agreement with Amingiri Holdings Pvt Ltd, a hospitality focused subsidiary of Maldivian construction and real estate development company Amin Construction Pvt Ltd to launch the 109 all-villa Hilton Maldives Amingiri. 

Scheduled to open at the end of this year, Hilton Maldives Amingiri will mark the entry of Hilton’s flagship Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand into the Maldives. It will be the fourth resort under the company’s portfolio of brands in the Maldives, joining Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island and SAii Lagoon Maldives, Curio Collection by Hilton.

Guy Phillips, senior vice president, development, Asia Australasia, Hilton, said, “The Maldives remains one of the world’s most highly sought-after destinations and the signing of Hilton Maldives Amingiri reflects the excellent growth potential we see in the market. We are delighted to be embarking on this partnership with Amingiri Holdings Pvt Ltd to launch our Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand in the country. We are confident their experience in developing world-class resorts in the Maldives, combined with Hilton’s strong commercial engine, will place us at the top of mind for leisure travelers when it is safe to travel again.”

Hilton Maldives Amingiri is strategically located on Amingiri Island in the Male Atoll, directly accessible from the Maldives’ Velana International Airport via a 15-minute speedboat ride. The resort will feature 109 well-spaced beach and water villas, each with a private pool, including an exclusive six-bedroom villa ideal for travellers looking to reunite and create new travel memories with loved ones around the world in an iconic destination after more than a year of connecting remotely. A pool, spa, fitness centre and salon will also be available for guests to clock in time to work out or refresh themselves at. 

Guests can enjoy an array of dining options from the resort’s six restaurants and bars to suit their mood and palate throughout the day, including:

• Habitat: the resort’s all-day dining restaurant which celebrates international cuisines inspired by cultures ranging from the Mediterranean to South East Asia through its live kitchens, presenting a delectable breakfast spread in the morning before evolving into an a la carte dining venue for lunch and dinner where guests can enjoy themed nights offering guests indulgent flavours from around the world.

• Re-Fuel: A teens-only zone where junior guests can gain access through a secret speakeasy-style entrance in the Kids’ club. The rooftop deck is a tranquil Oasis where Teens can relax and unwind. A dedicated bar will serve a curated menu specifically catering to the needs and wants to the teenage traveller.

• EDEN: An adults-only resort’s destination bar specializing in champagne and gin-based drinks in a highly bespoke and intimate setting where guests can celebrate special occasions with unparalleled views of the Maldivian sunset.

Alexandra Jaritz, senior vice president, brand management, Asia Pacific, Hilton, said, “As the most recognized name in hospitality, Hilton Hotels & Resorts has one of the largest footprints across the globe. Even more importantly, the brand is known the world over for the positive impact it brings to each new destination we enter through the employment opportunities we create and renowned levels of hospitality we bring to the location. We are thrilled to be seeing our flagship brand represented in the Maldives and look forward to providing the perfect setting for families and friends to reconnect and make new travel memories when the resort debuts in the coming months.”

 Daniel Welk, Asset Manager, Amingiri Holdings Pvt Ltd, said, “For over a century, Hilton has built a stellar reputation with its ability to deliver performance and growth through their strong teams and commercial capabilities. We are confident our partnership with Hilton will be a successful one and are excited to work with them to bring to life our shared vision of delivering the most exceptional levels of service and hospitality to international travelers to the Maldives when Hilton Maldives Amingiri opens.”

 The upcoming Hilton Maldives Amingiri will feature Hilton CleanStay, an industry-leading programme to deliver a new standard of cleanliness and disinfection across all of Hilton’s hotels globally, providing peace-of-mind from check-in to check-out.

For more about Hilton Hotels & Resorts, visit https://www.hilton.com/en/hilton/

The whimsical curves on the Loïe suspension

To celebrate their 10th anniversary, the leading Parisian design studio MYDRIAZ unveils a capsule collection that combines oneiric elegance with a contemporary twist. With the introduction of the first new indulgence product range, MYDRIAZ is broadening its audience. The Loïe suspension is the first piece of this coveted collection made exclusively in MYDRIAZ’s workshop in Paris.

Striving to combine artistic and artisanal disciplines, this new series celebrates MYDRIAZ’s co-founders and designers, Jennifer Midoz and Malo du Bouëtiez. 

The new Loïe suspension encompasses traditional metalwork with contemporary techniques. Its shape was inspired by the light and airy Serpentine dance movements pioneered by American artist Loïe Fuller. The shimmering of the delicate fabric and the floaty allure of the moving material on the dancer’s costumes is reimagined onto the brass structure of the light.

To create the whimsical curves on the Loïe suspension, the metal is continuously heated with a bright flame to allow it to be randomly sculpted until a perfect and unique supernova shape is achieved.

This technique has become typical of the studio’s collections. It was a process first used for the Mercure light, and after thorough research and development, it was extended and adapted to several other creations, allowing greater freedom in the design and conception phase. 

Available in green and copper, the colour varnish has been chosen to harmonize and enhance the natural property of the underlying brass. 

The Loïe suspension combines the design ethos and creative methods of MYDRIAZ, giving birth to an exceptional piece that radiates and brings warmth to a room.

The high-street collection will soon welcome new pieces, competing in innovation and ingenuity in the work and association of materials. They will be distributed across emblematic stores worldwide. 

Loïe Suspension

Made in small quantities by hand 

in Mydriaz’s Parisian workshop

42 x 32 x 15 cm

Brass and coloured varnish 

1350,00€ (excl. Tax)

Specifications :

Made in small quantities by hand 

in Mydriaz’s Parisian workshop

42 x 32 x 15 cm

Brass and coloured varnish 

1350,00€ (excl. Tax)

For more information, please visit: www.mydriaz-paris.com

NEW NORMAL, NEW STANDARD exhibition - Meal Time at Tokyo, and Osaka, Japan

Arakawa & Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President Hajime Arakawa) aim to support designer who is eager to create designed products suitable for beautiful scenes such as restaurants and hotel rooms. To reduce an infection risk caused by the global pandemic.

EXHIBITION CONCEPT:

Since last year of Fall, the "NEW NORMAL, NEW STANDARD" exhibition will go to the second phase this June.

The first phase of the exhibition was received a significant impact under the theme "Beautiful Countermeasures against Infectious Diseases."

Countermeasures against COVID 19 during dining are often undertaken with social distance and partitions. However, they can be cumbersome and inconvenient in many cases.

We hope to use the power of design to remedy this difficult time, albeit only slightly. For this year's exhibition, six selected designers developed products to make mealtime a pleasant and peaceful experience.

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MASHILO by Kaori Akiyama 

MASHILO by Kaori Akiyama 

The MASHILO chair is constructed exclusively from Japanese cypress trees sourced in Hiroshima Prefecture. In addition to being used as an anti-infection measure, the chair was designed to provide a place where people can enjoy a meal alone, quietly and peacefully, as if they were spending time in a forest, thereby allowing them to appreciate the feast itself more intimately. With these thoughts in mind, MASHILO comes into being as a place to savour a moment with a clear conscience.

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BREATHE SCREEN by Takanori Urata 

BREATHE SCREEN by Takanori Urata 

Developed to enhance mealtime experience, BREATHE SCREEN has a three-dimensional shape, with transparent silicone placed on both sides where it meets the cheeks and is worn with the face in between. This mask will reduce the inconvenience of attaching and detaching masks during "masked dinners," thereby making the precious limited mealtime of today more enjoyable.

Takanori Urata, after worked for Tokujin Yoshioka Design, established TAKANORI URATA DESIGN INC. in 2010. In 2014, he started sunsetclimax inc. for outdoor gears industry. He received some awards, such as GOOD DESIGN AWARD, iF DESIGN AWARD, DFA Design for Asia Awards, German Design Awards and so on. 

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CAMERIERE by Kairi Eguchi 

CAMERIERE by Kairi Eguchi 

CAMERIERE is an ideal mask stand for storing masks in restaurants, hotels, or at home. The vertically elongated structure stores mask efficiently and aesthetically in the minimum space required. The simple and soft lines found in cutlery are applied to create a visually harmonious design.

Kairi Eguchi Established KED, Japanese industrial design studio, based in Osaka in 2008. With the studio philosophy - “Discover the unknowns.”, KED not only provide standard design service, but also continue expanding its services such as product planning, design strategy, etc. to provide elegant and new approach for a better user experience. 

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Object Ⅱby Akira Nakagomi

Object Ⅱby Akira Nakagomi 

Object Ⅱis a splash-proof set of partitions that enhance the enjoyment and vitality of dining. The vibrantly hued acrylics add flavour to space instead of just functioning as tasteless partitions. Moreover, the pillar weights can be used as flower vases to add a touch of colour to meals. It is hoped that the presence of the partitions will be forgotten while dining and that the atmosphere will become a little more like it was before the COVID-19 disaster. 

Akira Nakagomi founded the AKIRA NAKAGOMI DESIGN in 2012, after working at TOKUJIN YOHSIOKA DESIGN. The goal is to design beautiful products, taking into account materials and techniques. 

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MASK VASE by Yuma Kano 

MASK VASE by Yuma Kano 

MASK VASE is a paper mask case stand designed for use while eating at restaurants. While it is a product for the "new lifestyle," wearing masks has become mandatory, it can also be used to add flowers and plants after the epidemic that will eventually come to an end. This design combines a mask case stand and a flower vase to remind us to live colourfully.

Yuma Kano, founded studio yumakano after working as an assistant to artist Yasuhiro Suzuki, is bringing the old environment to life through product design, product planning, brand direction, interior planning, artwork, and other projects. 

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Obi by Tomoki Doi 

Obi by Tomoki Doi 

This is a unique freestanding handkerchief that can also be used as a cup sleeve. The shape of the handkerchief is cylindrical to make it as compact as possible when placed in a pocket, yet self-standing on a desk to help it dry naturally. The product was designed based on the manufacturing process of Hirafu Orimono's knitted Japanese belt for the Kimono called an Obi so that it can be created efficiently and would create the appearance of an Obi when attached to a coffee cup. 

ANDASSOCIATES founded by Tomoki Doi is a design firm based in Tokyo that strives to design simple and flexible pieces, in hopes to add some playful elements. 

Event Information: 

Title: NEW NORMAL, NEW STANDARD 2 -Meal Time  

Tokyo exhibition

Venue: TIERS GALLERY by arakawagrip 

Dates: Tuesday, June 15 to Sunday June 20, 2021

Osaka exhibition 

Venue: Page Gallery (KAIRI EGUCHI DESIGN 1F) 

Dates: Saturday July 3 to Sunday, July 10, 2021

Designers: Kaori Akiyama, Kairi Eguchi, Takanori Urata, Akira Nakagomi, 

Yuma Kano, Tomoki Doi 

Sponsors: Arakawa & Co., Ltd., DOUBLE-H. Inc 

Cooperation: Doi Furniture Mfg.Ltd., Takeda Design Project, Hiratoyo Orimono, Izuru 

PR communication: Shieru Doi, Manaka Nishida 

Translation: Shizuka Konishi 

Website: https://newnormalnew.com/ 

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About Arakawa & Co., Ltd. 

Arakawa & Co., Ltd. invented the first wire gripper mechanism, which could be adjusted along the wire cable with one push and locked without a set of screws. This innovative system can be applied as a display tool for shop interiors and art museums by collaboration with architects and designers. 

Contact: Makoto Arakawa, makoto@arakawagrip.co.jp 

DesignArt Tokyo 2021 is now call for entires

An annual festival of "Art and design." Bringing together various creative works from all over the world to the city of Tokyo is now returns in October 2021.

Amid the Covid-19 crisis, challenges continue in our life, society, and business. However, now is the time when creative ideas and actions are much in need than ever. Setting this year's theme as "CHANCE!", DESIGNART TOKYO presents cutting-edge design and art from Tokyo.

Celebrating its 5th year, DESIGNART TOKYO continues developing as a hybrid and international event, merging physical and digital experiences. Many exciting projects and collaborations will be seen, reflecting hot subjects, such as sustainability.

New category luxury outdoor chair made from genuine leather One of the most notable Asian architects, Johnny Chiu, collaborates with a group of Japanese Meisters, "KOBE LEATHER," is unveiling a brand-new category of luxury outdoor furniture. Single chairs will be the first ones to be introduced during DESIGNART TOKYO 2021.

Don’t be miss these great chances to showcase your design and art pieces. In Tokyo, Japan, the call for entries deadline will be on May 20, 2021. For more information, please check the following link to direct to DesignArt Tokyo.

Call for entries:

Deadline: 20 May 2021

Entry Website: http://designart.jp/en/entry2021/

About DESIGNART TOKYO 2021

"DESIGNART TOKYO" is one of Japan's largest design & art festivals held every fall. Diverse objects and experiences of crossover the fields of ART, INTERIOR, DESIGN, FASHION, and FOOD, from around the world are presented in various locations in Tokyo. The world’s leading mixed culture city "Tokyo" transforms into a museum during the festival.

For more information, please visit: http://designart.jp/

Unlock your Imagination, Open your Mind to a Brilliant Prospect

The Existence of a City Depends on Memory

By naming the project in Chinese after the “Nanjing Brocade” –a traditional article famous for its cloud-like colours and intricate patterns, China Overseas Land & Investment pays homage to the heritage of a city, the place where the best fabrics in the country are produced: the “Fifth Cotton Mill.”

The mill has been a part of Chinese culture for different generations. It is the prime model of how space can become a symbolic memory. The connection between the mill, the city, and society creates a dialogue between architecture, space, and people.

The designer had arranged the space created similar to a carrier inside a glass box to generate fluid forms and dynamic sculptures resembling the sinuous shapes of the Nanjing brocade, extensive sand dunes that transform time into organic musical patterns.

In Art, Past and Present Overlap while the Old and the New Establish a Unique Dialogue.

The designer takes elements from nature and memory and twists them into threads that weave an architectural brocade, using flexible curves to provide artistic tension to the surrounding environment, combining memories with physical space.

Memories evolve before our eyes as if weaved with fine silk threads. Countless flying yarns condense day and night into a winged sculpture, a threader moving swiftly between giant ribbons in space.

A fifty-two-meter-long and nine-meter-wide sculpture rises toward the sky and extends through the whole interior space of the property. Inspiration for the piece comes from Chinese brocade, revolving and dancing around, both intertwined and scattered simultaneously, outlining the shape of an infinite loop, aiming toward the future.

 “We highlight the cultural features of the cotton industry in China. Using space to connects the past with the future. Through a dynamic momentum to create outlines, the beauty of life in bloom with unique elements from the past and formidable sights into future”. – said the designer.

“Time” is the Essence behind Brilliant Prospect

The designer adopted a unique artistic language to define Brilliant Prospect –the project’s name in English. Such a creative approach represents a distinctive landmark composed of artistic and cultural elements.

And thus, sinuous curves grow around the space, weaving segments of time into particular groups, orchestrating multiple ideas into one. Like an epic opera, its magnificent forms fascinate people with a distinctive charm.

Unlock your Imagination, Open your Mind to a Brilliant Prospect

Complementing the central sculpture, an artistic staircase becomes the symbolic entrance to a time tunnel that distributes imaginative elements above and below ground. At the center of two sculptural curved stairs lies an installation called the “Time Shuttle.”

The designer sets the central functional zone of the property in a sunken courtyard where mirrored are as vast as the skies, and lakes provide a deep depth of field, separating everything inside the property from the complexities of the external world. The salon area opposite the book bar interprets the convergence of time with geometric shapes.

The whole space is bestowed with church-like sacredness and tranquillity. It cultivates a life of elegance with poetry, wine, flowers and tea, gathering the essence of life through elements such as rhythm, softness and comfortable surroundings to enjoy the company of old and new friends. 

The clubhouse is an extension of the household, a unique kind of companionship that further refines and integrates social circles. Once again, the “spindle” becomes the main artistic symbol of the space. This time, the shape hangs down from the ceiling, concentrating the light coming from a surrounding “ocean of knowledge.”

Thus, the designer transforms space into a petri dish of curiosity and creativity, awaking memories and shaping them. The area feels like a “dance frozen in time” about to begin again, prompting a breathtaking melody that transforms objects into lively and meaningful beings.

The designer hopes to create an artistic “choreography” between real and imaginary times, providing guests with endless possibilities from the future, a banquet, meeting or party in modern times.

Project info
Project name: Brilliant Prospect Project status: Completed in September, 2020
Location: Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China
Developer: China Overseas Land and Investment Contractor: Beijing Mingyang Hanhai Decoration LLC. Design team: GBD  Lead designer: Du Wenbiao (Bill Do)
Interior design: Guangzhou GBD Design Project area: approximately 2000m2
Main Materials: Terrazzo, Faux paint, Metal paint Photographer: BenMo Studio