A Tribute to Ettore Sottsass

Ettore Sottsass, (1917-2008) designer and ardent design philosopher, worked throughout his career to shake the static ways in which people thought about design and to try to create a body of work outside of what he thought were “hierarchic bureaucratic structures of industry.” The influential architect died of heart failure last month at his home in Milan. He was 90.

Although Sottsass was born in Austria, he studied at the Turin Polytechnic and is identified as one of the major forces behind the immense wave of design that began flowing out of Italy after the war. His main interest was in creating objects that challenged the icons of Italian design that he felt functioned in terms of status and money. By constantly questioning and rethinking ideas and processes, Sottsass’ work teeters on the very edge of the anti-design movement. He never ceased to imply the importance of design in society, however, stating that, “to me design…is a way of discussing life. It is a way of discussing society, politics, eroticism, food and even design.”

So many everyday things could bring you into an intimate physical connection with this aster’s work and inventive mind. At home, the bed, taps, door handles could all have been designed by him, so could the kitchen furniture, desks and chairs, and even light switches to choose from. This is the man, who brought design into our everyday life.

Sottsass showed that it was possible to understand design as a cultural as well as a technical issue. When he designed the Valentine portable typewriter for Olivetti in 1969, with the British designer Perry King, he was able to turn a piece of office equipment into a desirable object by understanding that there are emotions involved as well as ergonomics in the way that we use and understand our possessions.

The Valentine was fashioned out of bright red plastic, with twin splashes of vivid orange for the spools; turning it from a machine into a kind of toy. As he put it himself, “the sort of thing to keep lonely poets company on Sundays in the country”. Four decades later, Jonathan Ive did the same for Apple, with the iPod, turning technology that grew out of office equipment into a desirable possession.

Like his father, also called Ettore, Sottsass saw himself first and foremost as an architect. Almost all Italian designers trained as architects, and too many of them want to go back to designing buildings, even though they are manifestly better sticking to the scale of cutlery and chairs. Sottsass was an exception in that he really was a highly gifted architect, even though he was entirely outside the mainstream.

In architecture, he sought to imbue emotion and delight as well. The Mayer-Schwarz gallery in Beverly Hills, with its dramatic doorway made of irregular folds and jagged angles. He even managed to build an apartment in the unlikely setting of Albany in London for Johnny Pigozzi, the celebrity photographer.

The Memphis Movement,компютри started in 1981 by Sottsass and his friends, broke down barriers between high and low art, between assumptions of “good” and ‘bad” taste, and raised the question of access to art design by people of all economic backgrounds. They created furniture and other objects with bright colours, slick surfaces, off shapes and sizes. In an interview with Pure Commentary, he said, “We tried to design without thinking of the conditions the “industrial culture” had imposed and is still imposing with all the possible means, legal or illegal, to define what is “good” and “bad” taste.

Ettore Sottsass was a great man. An icon whose design challenged the tenets of modern design. He propelled functionality with design and made it a success, allowing normal people like everyone of us to come into contact with good art everyday.

http://www.urbanespaces.com/sottsass.html –An avant garde design modern bungalow by Sottsass.

Singapore has a delectable mix of people from all countries, of all races and religion, of multiple personalities. We love foreign talents because they bring the best from their countries and we love other things they bring along with them e.g. their culture, art, design, food etc.

Imitation is the best form of flattery and Singaporeans are the epitome of this sentence. Regardless of where we go, we take back the best bit back to our wonderful little country and sometimes come up with something uniquely Singaporean after mixing everything together. Sometimes.

There may be some correlation between home décor in Singapore and travel patterns. Perhaps? Think the Banyan tree look in the 80s, the tropical modern look, Zen in the later 90s and now Modern Baroque is making a comeback. But I question the relation to traveling. There is a greater likelihood that Guy A goes over to Bali, sees something he likes, decorates his home after it, perhaps got his place showcased in a magazine and “WALA!” everyone copies the same Balinese style. Luxury travel in Bali with its world class resorts or rather, luxury travel in Indonesia with an increasingly sophisticated array of travel solutions in off-the-beaten trek locations, offer a great way of orienting the home decor neophyte with an exotic South-East Asian aesthetic. Nevertheless the popularity of certain interior design themes in Singapore is worthy of a mention.

Balinese

Courtesy of blogman from sxc.hu

Singaporeans love the beach and resort feel. So much that they have brought back the resorts right into their homes. The desire to create a hideaway, reminiscent of the charming villas found in the tropical Indonesian island of Bali, has led to the burgeoning trend of Balinese themed décor.

Singapore was a developing nation in the mentioned period. Travelling was mostly limited to the surrounding countries. As a result, Singapore home décor was very Asian (nothing to do with any intrinsic cultural trait) but rather due to the logics of consumption (what we can afford vs. what we really want).

Nevertheless, the Balinese style still lingers in some Singaporean homes today. The idyllic feel and care freeness of this particular style takes away one’s pressure from the hustle and bustle in the city. One can almost pretend they are relaxing on a deck chair enjoying the breeze with a cocktail in hand or perhaps partying on the sandy beach with the hottest babes and hunks or even meditating in the woods, listening to the trickling of a stream.

Some features of the Balinese styled homes would be the amount of space (or the illusion of space). Furniture and ornaments are often simple, reducing the amount of clutter in the room. As a result, sunlight streams in easily, creating an airy, well lit effect throughout the house. Water feature is almost a must. The constant trickling of water relaxes the aural senses and calms the soul. It also adds some life to the monotonous day we have had in our little office cubicle.

Whether it is the handcrafted carvings that double up as intricate showpieces, the beautiful and bold paintings that pepper the rooms or the woody furniture where weary homeowners can sink their tired bodies in and fall straight into an idyllic reverie, the rustic décor attracted a large group of followers. But of course, Singaporeans are fickle and they look for change and hence the development of the modern Balinese themed homes.

Michael White a.k.a. Made Wijaya of the 90s

Born Michael White, Made Wijaya is one of the world’s most celebrated tropical garden designers with about 600 gardens to his credit in locations as far away as Morocco, Hawaii, the continental United States, Spain, India, Malaysia and Singapore

Wijaya, a multi-talented artist with a comprehensive and meticulous knowledge of Balinese culture, architecture and tropical landscape design has propelled Balinese culture to a greater height by adopting the latest trends from overseas and creating a tropical modern look, one favoured by many Singaporeans as well.

Balinese home will never to go out of style. Strike a balance between the rustic Balinese charm and the sleek, modern lines and you will not be laughed at by the modern Baroque style of today.

Other than the Balinese style he is very fond of, Wijaya is outstanding at creating the tropical gardens that are sensitive to local nuances. His breakthrough, the Bali Hyatt hotel, showcased the exuberant growth of local coastal plants with English style attention to texture, colour and decorative accents.

On modern tropical home décor, Wijaya’s approach is about the celebration of living in the tropics, hedonism in life, all in the presence of nature. The whole idea is to break free of the alienation from the environment and welcoming all the pleasure of tactile and sensorial experiences of nature. Smell the light scent of a flower, listen to the singing of a frog or respond to the touch of the wind.

Screens replace walls, stones and woods became the main attraction of the modern tropical look. Kitchen and eating rooms can open to the garden. Plants like the palm tree can help create a home away from home look as well. The whole idea behind the modern tropical home is to embrace the nature while maintaining the stylishness of the modern home.

Zen

We love everything Japanese. Japanese conveyor sushi belts, Japanese trinkets, Japanese toys, Japanese electronics, Japanese cars, Japanese food (think tako pachi, Jap pancakes, ramen, dons etc), the language etc. It is natural that if we want to live like a Japanese, we want to recreate the same home décor in our homes as well.

Photo Courtesy of sradion from sxc.hu

The Japanese Zen missionary expansion continued in the early 20^th Century, influencing Singaporeans with its simple lines, little colours and minimalist approach to decoration. This interior design situation arose out of something of universal appeals—Zen paintings.

Simplicity is the sophistication of the 21^st century and Zen fits right into this mode. A Zen room provides a clam and quiet environment for the owner, something that is hard to find in our highly stressful lives.

The minimalist approach means that all clutter has to be stored out of sight. Storage bins, cabinets or pieces of furniture that allow for storage are necessary. Under the list of decorating scheme, some metal, chrome, whites, creams and very simple lines are used. Anything too ostentatious should be rid off to create the stark effect.

With the rapid modernisation of the late 90s to early 20s, the young, contemporary trendsetters are lured by the Zen style of interior decorating, making the Zen style a big hit.

Modern Baroque

The trend to minimalism throughout the 1990s is being replaced by opulence. Think the painted ceilings of San Benedetto in Catania, the domed roofs of Santa Susanna, the dynamic rhythm of columns and pilasters, central massing and the protrusion and condensed central decoration of Baroque’s Italian beginnings. After last year’s presentations of baroque homages by well-known protagonists like Capellini with the “New Antiques” chair or Sawaya & Moroni with the collection ”Barock ’n’ Roll ”, baroque elements are finding their way into the entire furniture industry.

The trend to resort to nostalgic elements is based upon fulfilling the consumers’ desire for well-established values and the security associated with them, and meanwhile this trend has become a significant economical factor. The tendency towards a new Baroque era is reflected in particular in specific ornamental designs and patterns but is also expressed in lush round forms and luxurious materials.

In the Singaporean context, the Baroque movement represents a flaunting of wealth as the economy continues with its high growth rates. The property market boom made many millionaires over night from the en bloc saga, consumerism is at an all time high, luxe developments are sprouting up in places we have never thought of. The fast moving economy and the tendency to want to best have brought back the Baroque movement in Singapore décor. Other contributing factors would be the IR and its range of high end deluxe hotels and the F1 race.

When it comes to luxe residences, the trend is to go baroque as it is a representation of the high life. However, the minimalism trend has yet to die out especially in the homes of young trendsetters as well as in chic boutique hotels.

The best places to find inspiration for interior design whilst traveling remain Morocco, India, Bali and Thailand but for a more interpretive aesthetic and more exotic throwbacks, it’s worthwhile to start looking towards Syria, Turkey, Mongolia(having inspired quite a slew of private gers in backyards), Myanmar and China.

Organized by 3rd year architectural students and in conjunction with the Singapore Design Festival, ArchiFest is orgniazing architectural tours of residential and commercial landmarks in Singapore.

There are two varieties of Day Tours(Day Tripping and Day Reeling- am leaning towards the latter), which offers guided tours through architectural landmarks like the recently controversial Pearlbank Apartments, Singapore SIT flats and Golden Mile Complex.

An M18 tour spans nightlife offerings of nightspots housed within conserved(Muse, St James, Chijmes, Alley Bar) or buildings that have been deemed architecturally  interesting(Loof, Zouk).

More information on the festival and tours here: 

Outside Singapore, architectural tours are being offered in Brazil, whilst being based in Sao Paulo’s most architecturally innovative hotels and Rio’s secret boutique hideaways. You’ll be looking at the works of Niemeyer, alternately based in hotels by Ruy Ohtake, browsing through books in bookstores designed by Isay Weinfeld and experiencing alternate takes to the traditional favela tour.
Architectural tours are also increasingly being offered in Sri Lanka with a focus on Geoffrey Bawa and a combination of Sri Lanka’s top boutique hotels.
Luxury travel to China also sees a possibility in architecturally-inclined tours. You could either visit or stay in villas designed by Kengo Kuma and other contemporary architecture greats close to the Great Wall, take a tour of the atmospheric hutongs of Beijing while being based in a sumptuously restored courtyard home or visit historic old Chinese mansions that provided the setting for Raise the Red Lantern.

I love the proposed architecture of the church. There’s been no mention made of the architect though.

Why church inked Buona Vista mega-property deal

60-year rental: $343m A place of its own: $280m

By Nur Dianah Suhaimi

AN ARTIST’S IMPRESSION of the $660m complex with its distinctive shape which is likely to be achieved using titanium. When the complex is ready in 2011, church services would be held at the 5,000-seat auditorium. — PHOTO: NEW CREATION CHURCH View more photos TO HEAR Deacon Matthew Kang talk, it makes sense for a church to go into property development. The church in question is the 23-year-old charismatic New Creation Church. Its Sunday services at Suntec City Mall draw long lines of worshippers that snake round the block. The property in question, announced last week, is a $660-million lifestyle hub in Buona Vista. The church’s business arm, Rock Productions, is partnering property giant CapitaLand to develop the site. In an interview with The Sunday Times, Mr Kang, one of the directors of Rock Productions, explained why the church decided to turn property developer in such a big way – the company’s investment in the project comes up to $280 million. Every month, the church pays Suntec City $477,000 to rent the 1,400-seat auditorium, where it holds its services, and a convention hall to accommodate the spillover of worshippers. Its congregation is 16,000-strong. Mr Kang, a full-time director of financial services at insurance company Manulife Financial, said the rental would add up to $343 million in 60 years’ time. It thus makes economic sense to invest $280 million in developing its share of the 60-year lease Buona Vista site, which consists of an auditorium, an amphitheatre, an outdoor theatre, two ballrooms and a rooftop function area. The restaurants, shops, wine bars and dance clubs will be developed by CapitaLand. When the complex is ready in 2011, services would be held at the 5,000-seat auditorium. The amount involved is no small sum but Mr Kang, 47, said the church would have no problems ponying up the money. Even before the foundation has been laid, it already has $100 million in cash to cover 35 per cent of the project cost. Since the company is projected to make about $60million in profit over the next three years, it is left with $120 million to raise. Mr Kang, who is married with three children, said: ‘Of course it is possible to raise $120 million. We have faith that people will give.’ According to the church’s financial statements, it received $39.3 million in tithe and offerings in its 2007 financial year. Rock Productions, set up in 1998 with a paid-up capital of $8 million, is fully funded by the church. The company is run by a six-member board chaired by church pastor Joseph Prince, 44, who started preaching from a four-room flat in Holland Road. The board members, who do not receive any salary or dividends from the company, make all the business decisions. One of its shrewdest was the 2001 purchase of Marine Cove at East Coast Park for $10 million, $4 million below its valuation price, after the previous owner had to sell off assets to pay creditors. Mr Kang, who readily quotes from the Bible to illustrate the virtues of investing, said: ‘Marine Cove was a great investment. It came with ready, popular tenants such as McDonald’s and the place is always crowded. Even the carpark is making money.’ Profit from Marine Cove came up to $425,388 in the last financial year. Other religious organisations are also actively involved in business. Sultan Mosque, in Bussorah Street, collects rent from 11 shophouses that were donated to the mosque by members of the public. The Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery earns income from its crematorium. In 2002, the Methodist Church leased out a 173,800 sqft piece of land in Mount Sophia to Centrepoint Properties for a reported sum of $50 million. In 2003, the Seventh-Day Adventist Church sold a 13-storey condominium in Irrawady Road for an estimated $21 million. Mr Kang, referring to the parable about the servant who buried Jesus’ money instead of investing it, said: ‘In today’s context, that is like keeping money under your mattress. Putting money in the bank and earning interest is the last resort.’ ndianah@sph.com.sg

Was pretty excited about the Aga Khan Architectural Awards (especially when the award presentation was held at the Alhambra a few years ago). Thought the plans for this, to be worthy of consideration for the Aga Khan Awards. As it is, it got sold before the plans could materialize and the new owners are not going ahead with the design.

The premise of the award is that the project have a “positive impact on communities and the environment”, with less of a focus on architecture per se than the benefits it creates(previous winners have included the Cultural Park for Children in Cairo, Egypt and the Slum Networking of Indore, India). While regional winners have previously included The Datai in Langkawi, the Tanjong Jara Beach Resort and the Salinger Residence in Bangi, Selangor, I believe that no projects in Singapore has been awarded the Aga Khan Architectural(with the highest prize money, if not in prestige).-although Singapore-based architectural firm Kerry Hill bagged a win for The Datai in Langkawi.
Excerpts from the report can be found below:

The award is governed by a steering committee chaired by the Aga Khan. Members include German architect Omar Akbar, Swiss architect Jacques Herzog and American art historian Glenn Lowry.

The steering committee selects the master jury for each award cycle.This year’s nine winners include the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Ethiopia, a school in Rudrapur, Bangladesh and the University of Technology Petronas in Malaysia.

The award ceremonies have been held in settings selected for their architectural and cultural importance to the Muslim world, such as Istanbul’s Topkapi Place in 1983 and the Alhambra in Granada, Spain in 1998.

This year’s ceremony was held in Kuala Lumpur’s Petronas Twin Towers, a 2004 award-winner.

Straits Times, 5 Sept 2007

On the subject of Aga Khan- The boutique hotels in Pakistan owned by the same are especially interesting and atmospheric; where, instead of a hotel gym, there’s a prayer cum meditation room overlooking the Himalayas, for example, or a community project that goes towards the preservation of local artisanal culture. There’s also a significant presence in East Africa, including a hotel close to the magical Ngorongoro Crater.