* Design: Reflections on a Soup Spoon, by Alice Rawsthorn

Design: Reflections on a Soup Spoon, by Alice Rawsthorn: “..it was designed by the Danish architect Arne Jacobsen in the late 1950s for use in one of his architectural projects, the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen. Then in his late 50s, Jacobsen was the most famous architect in Denmark and was renowned internationally for the sensitivity with which he softened the ascetic Modernist style with gentle curves and sensual finishes..”  Excellent, sharp, smart article in The New York Times, by the astute design observer Alice Rawsthorn..

See posts on other equally sharp articles by Alice Rawsthorn:

•  Residential Architecture: Villa Tugendhat – Reopening a Mies Modernist Landmark
• Protest Branding – Elements of Style as Occupy Movement Evolves, by Alice Rawsthorn
• ‘Keyed to Detail, No Matter How Crazy’, by Alice Rawsthorn – The Sensual Intelligence of Designer Aldo Bakker
• Graphic Design: With a Big Boost From Technology, by Alice Rawsthorn
• Can Anybody Be a Designer? by Alice Rawsthorn
• ‘Postmodern, but Not Especially Proud of It’ by Alice Rawsthorn
• Looking at China as a Creator, Not Manufacturer by Alice Rawsthorn
• Visually Stunning, Technologically Ingenious, Poetic, Subversive – The Lighting of Ron Gilad for FLOS by Alice Rawsthorn
• Quietly Excellent Design – The Annual Post-Salone Sigh from Alice Rawsthorn
• Skull and Crossbones as Branding Tool
• A Taxonomy of Office Chairs – You’ll Never Look at Them the Same Way Again

image: Georg Jensen; The New York Times; article: Alice Rawsthorn, The New York Times

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* Architecture: Victoria Tower by Wingårdh Arkitektkontor AB

Architecture: Victoria Tower by Wingårdh Arkitektkontor AB: “..The parallelepiped form of the tower is topped by a rectangular cuboid, so that the upper floors project out beyond the shaft below. An irregular arrangement of metal-colored triangular panes of glass gives the façade its character. It incorporates eight different types of glass distributed randomly over the surface so that no regular pattern can be detected. Thin layers of metal oxide have been used to give the panes the insulating and solar shading attributes the situation demands..”  Cantilever, tinted and coated glass skin, distinctive form, modernist-inspired interior decoration..

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image: © Tord-Rickard Söderström; article: King , Victoria . “Victoria Tower / Wingårdh Arkitektkontor AB” 20 Apr 2012. ArchDaily. <http://www.archdaily.com/227856&gt;

* Design: Salone del Mobile 2012: A visit with Ponti by Domus

Design: Salone del Mobile 2012: A visit with Ponti by Domus: “..the revisitation of Gio Ponti’s furnishings presented during a discussion with Francesca Molteni..a metaphor for the much-needed renewal of the dialogue between tradition and project in design. A design report from Milan by Roberto Zancan..”  Interesting interview/article..

image + article Domus

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* Architecture: David Chipperfield selected to renovate the Mies – designed Neue National Gallery in Berlin

Architecture: David Chipperfield selected to renovate the Mies-designed Neue National Gallery in Berlin: “..David Chipperfield, Stirling Prize-winning [British] architect and director of the 13th international Venice Biennale, has been commissioned by the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (PCHF) to renovate the Neue National Gallery. The 20th century icon was designed by the legendaryLudwig Mies van der Rohe, who [would have] celebrated his 126th birthday this week..[Chipperfield’s] long history in dealing with architectural heritage includes the highly publicized and incredibly successful renovation of Berlin’s Neues Museum, which received the 2011 Mies van der Rohe Award, as well as the beautiful transformation of the 1920s Folkwang Museum..”

See our posts on David Chipperfield: Architects: Award-Winning British Architect David Chipperfield Discusses German Projects (Video) and Architecture: Venice Biennale 2012: David Chipperfield officially appointed director.

See our recent posts on the work of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe: Architecture: Classics by Mies van der Rohe, Architecture: German Pavilion (aka Barcelona Pavilion) by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Residential Architecture: Villa Tugendhat – Reopening a Mies Modernist Landmark and Architecture: Mies van der Rohe Gas Station Conversion by Les Architectes FABG.

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image: © Guillermo Hevia Garcia; article: Rosenfield , Karissa . “Chipperfield selected to renovate the Neue National Gallery in Berlin” 30 Mar 2012.ArchDaily. <http://www.archdaily.com/222042&gt;