Archinect - News

Architect-designed furniture and products at the 2024 Salone del Mobile

2024-04-19T13:13:00-04:00

Milan Design Week’s Salone del Mobile is set to conclude on Sunday, after a week which has seen the unveiling of a wide range of furnishing products.

“It is here that prototypes and innovations in terms of furnishings, domestic spaces, and lifestyles are presented: bedrooms, living and dining areas, entrance corridors, and service areas, outdoor spaces with their furniture and cupboards, upholsterers, tables and chairs set the scene for a narrative that starts with this room, exploring how the way we live is changing and, consequently, home living and furnishing,” the organizers said about the 2024 edition.

This year’s trade fair has included several products designed in collaboration with architects and architectural designers, continuing a trend that we reported on back in previous years, where we showcased work by Zaha Hadid Architects, Kengo Kuma and Associates, and OMA. To highlight this trend once again, our editorial team has collected some of the standout collaborations betw...

David Lynch discusses his scenographic installation at Salone del Mobile with curator Antonio Monda

2024-04-18T12:11:00-04:00

David Lynch is participating in this year's Salone del Mobile with an installation titled ‘Interiors by David Lynch. Thinking Room’ he designed to offer visitors of the fair a respite while serving tribute to the lurid scenography fans of his classic films Blue Velvet and Lost Highway will find pleasingly familiar.

The centerpiece of the installation is an oversized wooden armchair, designed by Lynch himself, with intricate brass tubes positioned overhead, creating a striking visual and tactile experience. Lynch's approach to design reflects his cinematic vision, where every element is imbued with meaning and emotion.

"Interiors by David Lynch. A Thinking Room," interior view. Image: courtesy Lombardini22

As part of the special weeklong exhibition, Salone curator Antonio Monda interviewed Lynch (who has also tried his hand at the visual arts, furniture making, and nightlife space design) about his contribution and the central role his advocacy for transcendental meditation plays in ...

Kim Kardashian sued by Donald Judd Foundation over false ownership claims

2024-03-28T12:28:00-04:00

Kim Kardashian's name is in the design news cycle once again after the Donald Judd Foundation filed suit recently against her company SKKN BY KIM in which it claims she falsely stated furnishings made by a company called Clements Design were the original works of the artist, who died in 1994.

The New York Times and TMZ are reporting on the lawsuit this week, which stems from a YouTube video tour of the makeup company's California offices that was uploaded in 2022.

The suit claims Kardashian unwittingly made damaging comments that could mislead consumers into believing the celebrity skincare mogul was endorsing the Judd Foundation (she and her ex-husband are, after all, both outspoken proponents of Judd and other minimalist icons like James Turrell).

The Foundation said they expressly forbid the use of their designs for marketing purposes. Kim’s team took down the two-year-old video and claims they contacted them contritely before negotiations broke down and the suit was filed. Cleme...

OMA debuts PRINCIPLES Square collection for Perth Design Week

2024-03-14T19:28:00-04:00

Photos of the central hub for Perth Design Week, the eight-day event taking place now in the Western Australia capital, have been revealed by OMA to go along with the start of festivities.

Their colorful design for PRINCIPLES Square is located inside Cathedral Square in Perth's city center and features the Australian debut of the firm's office furniture collaboration with UniFor, which first premiered at Milan Design Week in 2022.

Intended as the main gathering space for Design Week, the concept creates a variety of socializing and spatial scenarios. For the event's second edition, no less than 20 events will be hosted there. Philippe Braun, the project's associate-in-charge, told the press that its realization "stimulated us to further explore how the collection can be applied beyond the typical."

Photography by Frans Parthesius, courtesy OMA

OMA says of the arrangement: "PRINCIPLES Square is the manifestation of the potential of the collection. The installation takes advantage of ...

Snøhetta designs hemp-based lighting product inspired by 1970s ateljé Lyktan line

2024-03-13T12:02:00-04:00

Snøhetta has designed a line of lighting products for Swedish lighting manufacturer ateljé Lyktan.

The line, named Superdupertube, sees a revision of the manufacturer’s 1970s Supertube product, which was given a “contemporary makeover through extensive material research.”

Image credit: ateljé Lyktan

Image credit: Jonas Lindstrom

“When ateljé Lyktan challenged us to create a new technical office luminaire, we rediscovered their iconic Supertube from the 1970s,” said Snøhetta Partner Jenny B. Osuldsen about the project. “Our joint decision was clear — let's update and elevate the Supertube to a 2.0 version, guided by our commitment to sustainability and cradle-to-cradle thinking.”

Image credit: ateljé Lyktan

The project began as an exploration into how ateljé Lyktan’s products could be reimagined using locally sourced materials with a smaller ecological footprint. Initial experiments with pine cones and coffee grounds led to the choice of hemp fiber, which the...

ecoLogicStudio’s collection of biophilic design products includes algae-based air purifier and 3D printed compostable stool

2024-03-07T11:43:00-05:00

London-based ecoLogicStudio has unveiled a collection of biophilic design products as part of their wider PhotoSynethetica research project.

The collection includes a desktop biotechnological air purifier, a compostable stool, and a 3D printed jewel made of re-metabolized pollution.

Image credit: Pepe Fotografia

The project was overseen by ecoLogicStudio directors Claudia Pasquero and Marco Poletto, who spoke with Archinect last year on a range of topics related to PhotoSynethetica and ‘ecological intelligence.’ Launched as a research project in 2018 with an academic consortium, the project seeks to “tackle the negative effects of climate change and air pollution on urban wellbeing.”

Image credit: Pepe Fotografia

Each piece in the latest collection has been designed to connect biophilic and design spheres, such as biomass grown from the air purification process becoming a raw material for 3D printing the collection’s compostable stool and jewel. “This collection is born from the drea...

10 interior designs we liked this week

2024-01-20T08:00:00-05:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Interiors.

Tip: Use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles.

↑ Chapel of Sound in Chengde, China, by OPEN Architecture; Photo: Jonathan Leijonhufvud

↑ ANNA Collection in Werkendam, Netherlands, by Caspar Schols

↑ Liminal House in West Vancouver, Canada, by Mcleod Bovell Modern Houses; Photo: Hufton + Crow

↑ Poly·City Gather in Shijiangzhuang, China, by JAMES LIANG & ASSOCIATES LIMITED; Photo: One Thousand Degree Vision

↑ CAMPout in Lake Tahoe, CA, by Faulkner Architects; Interior Design: NICOLEHOLLIS; Photo: Joe Fletcher

↑ Blue Lake-Lakeside Teahouse Renovation in Beijing, China, by YI+MU Design Office

↑ WDW — Retail Design waterdrop® in Cologne, Germany, by AllesWirdGut; Photo: t...

BIG unveils a new sofa piece designed for Natuzzi Italia

2023-10-04T12:45:00-04:00

Furniture brand Natuzzi Italia has unveiled a sofa designed by Bjarke Ingels Group. The Colle Sofa, available online, draws inspiration from Natuzzi Italia’s early iconic designs, “known for their inviting, hospitable style that captures the essence of Mediterranean living,” as the company describes it.

Image credit: Natuzzi Italia

The piece is part of the wider Natuzzi Italia project titled ‘The Circle of Harmony,’ which has included a collaboration with dozens of renowned architects, artists, and designers over the past four years. Described by the company as “a physical and mental place that welcomes the most intimate and social moments by hosting quality time with ourselves and others,” the Colle Sofa features a wide selection of fabric and leather coverings.

Image credit: Natuzzi Italia

“Rooted in Natuzzi Italia's core values — Mediterranean flair, design, harmony, Italian character, innovation, comfort, and sustainability — the 2023 iteration of this philosophy, featuring the Co...

A new Kharkiv School of Architecture student project delivers valuable design solutions for rebuilding schools in Ukraine

2023-09-06T18:43:00-04:00

A new project aimed at improving the educational experience of Ukrainian schoolchildren is helping students at the Kharkiv School of Architecture participate in their country’s concerted response to an infrastructure crisis that began in February 2022 and has seen the destruction of an estimated 331 educational institutions nationwide, thus far.

The "First-Aid Spatial Kit" initiative is being taught as part of the school’s first-year construction practice curriculum and allows students to develop copyable designs for various interventions (furniture, pavilions, play spaces, etc.), which, in turn, can be implemented using readily-available materials by affected school districts looking for “self-help” solutions in rebuilding.

Photo: Zlatoslava Kryshtafovych & Oleksandr Holovashkin, courtesy Kharkiv School of Architecture

Over the course of four weeks, students developed a suite of six solutions that were also marked by a consideration for accessibility and universal design. Each of t...

Steelcase reinterprets Frank Lloyd Wright’s Johnson Wax Headquarters furniture with their new Racine Collection

2023-01-27T10:54:00-05:00

Michigan-based manufacturing company Steelcase has announced the creation of the Frank Lloyd Wright Racine Collection, a range of furniture that pays homage to the products designed by the famous architect in 1939 for the SC Johnson Administration Building in Racine, Wisconsin. Having worked with Wright to produce the furniture for the original 1939 building, Steelcase has sought to develop a new range that “reintroduces, reinterprets, and reimagines the classic furniture designs of Wright.”

Frank Lloyd Wright Racine Signature Collection. Image credit: Steelcase

Wright’s relationship with Steelcase began with the Johnson Wax Headquarters in 1939 and has continued through 1985 with their ongoing stewardship of Wright’s Meyer May House in Grand Rapids, Michigan. For their latest endeavor, Steelcase is collaborating with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation to launch reintroductions of iconic furniture by Wright, as well as create newly authored designers inspired by Wright’s principles.

...

Meet LA architecture and furniture designers LAUN: Your Next Employer?

2022-10-17T11:00:00-04:00

Following last week’s visit to Fearon Hay, we are keeping our Meet Your Next Employer series in Los Angeles this week to meet architecture, interiors, and furniture designers LAUN.

Founded in 2018 by friends Rachel Bullock and Molly Purnell, the studio has grown from its bespoke furniture roots to operate a team of four people delivering architecture and interior projects through a design process grounded in “curiosity and exploration.”

From their new office and showroom in Downtown LA, the firm is currently hiring over on Archinect Jobs. For candidates interested in applying for a position, or anybody interested in learning more about life at an architecture studio, we spoke with LAUN founding partner Molly Purnell for a behind-the-scenes look at the firm.

LAUN's showroom and office in Los Angeles. Photo by Ye Rin Mok

How did LAUN get started?

Rachel and I both grew up in colder climates (Michigan and Colorado) and we love the indoor-outdoor lifestyle of Los Angeles. We noticed ther...

10 fresh interior spaces for your Friday inspiration

2022-10-07T15:46:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Interiors.

Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles.

↑ Briarcliff Residence in Franklin, MI by Iannuzzi Studio; Interiors: Elizabeth Fields Design; Photo: Rafael Gamo

↑ Casa 15 in Braga, Portugal by AM-ARQSTUDIO; Photo: Ivo Tavares Studio

↑ HT Residence in Manhattan Beach, CA by Laney LA; Photo: Joe Fletcher

↑ Capiz Lounge in Boston, MA by Jeffrey Beers International

↑ Hotel Indigo Suzhou Yangcheng Lake in Suzhou, China by BLVD International

↑ Fariborz Maseeh Hall at Portland State University in Portland, OR by Hacker Architects; Photo: Pete Eckert

↑ Han Space & Silk Story (Jinke Hanwang Tingquan Xiaozhen Lifestyle and Arts Lounge) in Xuzhou, China by YI+MU Design Office; ...

10 bedroom spaces we liked this week

2022-07-30T10:00:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Bedroom Spaces.

Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles.

↑ HT Residence in Manhattan Beach, CA by Laney LA; Photo: Joe Fletcher

↑ Kauhale Kai in North Kona Coast, HI by de Reus Architects; Interior Design: Saint Dizier Design; Photo: Joe Fletcher

↑ Bailey Residence in Sisters, OR by Hacker Architects; Photo: Jeremy Bittermann

↑ Dogtrot Residence in Jackson, WY by CLB Architects; Photo: Audrey Hall

↑ Radisson Collection Hotel Palazzo Nani in Venice, Italy by Venice Plan Ingegneria srl; Interior Design: Studio Marco Piva - Architecture and Design; Photo: Andrea Martiradonna

↑ Row House in Hoboken, NJ by Mowery Marsh Architects; Interior Design: Elaine Santos Design; Photo: ...

Take a look at some of our favorite architect-designed furniture and homegoods products at Salone del Mobile

2022-06-13T11:52:00-04:00

Milan Design Week’s Salone del Mobile is wrapping up this weekend with another impressive field of new furniture collections gracing its exhibition halls and the international design stage for the first time.

Furniture design has been an increasing hallmark of the architectural trade beginning with the advent of the Baroque Revival style in the 1890s. Iconic pieces from Charles and Ray Eames, Mies van der Rohe, Arne Jacobsen, and Isamu Noguchi have become heavily-copied household mainstays as a result. The 60th Salone was a showcase of architects’ continued experimentation and theorizing within that tradition, featuring designs from OMA, Zaha Hadid, and several other leading international studios.

Every piece in each collection strives to be an individual work of art that carries forward the discipline using the exhibition theme of Design with Nature developed by president Maria Porro. The 2022 Salone has 2,000 exhibitors overall. Scroll down to see our selection of architect-design...

Inside the ‘world’s most sustainable furniture factory’ designed by BIG

2022-06-02T11:53:00-04:00

Norwegian outdoor furniture manufacturer Vestre has moved into The Plus, its new factory in Magnor, Norway, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group. The 75,000-square-foot (7,000-square-meter) factory was built in 18 months and claims to be the world’s most environmentally-friendly furniture factory.

Photo by Einar Aslaksen

BIG’s scheme is divided into four production areas (the Color Factory, the Wood Factory, Assembly, and Warehouse), placed in four orthogonal wings. A circular courtyard sits at the heart of the scheme, surrounded by a visitor center.

Photo by Einar Aslaksen

The factory seeks to become the first project of its kind in the world to achieve a BREEAM Outstanding rating. The building’s energy consumption is 60% lower than comparable factories, with 55% lower greenhouse gas emissions. A green rooftop accommodates 900 solar panels, while between 90% and 95% of the water used within the facility will be reused.

Photo by Einar Aslaksen

P...

Milan's Salone del Mobile announces 2022 dates and theme

2022-03-18T17:44:00-04:00

Milan’s Salone del Mobile has announced dates and theme for this year’s milestone edition of the popular design fair.

This 60th Salone will be held from June 7th to the 12th in the Fiera Milano Rho and will look to reestablish itself coming out of a pandemic-tinged two-year period that has given way to an uncertain global environment colored by war.

According to a press announcement, the aim of this year’s fair is to “demonstrate that it is both possible and crucial to start holding great international events live again, embedding sustainability and environmental awareness into furniture production.”

“The Salone has always been a catalyst for creativity, positivity and energy. We have always been a place of dialogue and construction, in Milan and at the Shanghai and Moscow editions,” President Maria Porro said in a statement.

Previously on Archinect: Salone del Mobile appoints Maria Porro as its new president

“Now, we are as shocked as everyone else by the war in Ukraine and believe ...

10 new living room designs we enjoyed this week

2022-02-19T08:00:00-05:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Living Spaces.

Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles.

↑ Mariposa House in Malibu, CA by Brininstool + Lynch; Photo: Christopher Barrett

↑ Dogtrot Residence in Jackson, WY by CLB Architects; Photo: Audrey Hall

↑ Park Avenue Apartment in New York, NY by ARCHITECTUREFIRM with David Davis

↑ Wonderland Park Residence in Los Angeles, CA by Assembledge+; Interior Design: Alexander Design; Photo: Laure Joliet

↑ Historic Renovation in San Francisco, CA by Walker Warner Architects (the firm was also featured in Archinect's Studio Snapshots series); Interiors: Redmond Aldrich Design; Photo: Matthew Millman

↑ Oxford Street in Berkeley, CA by Koch Architects; Photo: Bruce Damonte

↑...

Architecture's long relationship with furniture and product design remind us of alternative career paths for architects

2022-01-06T08:37:00-05:00

An architectural background offers a specific level of skills and expertise that individuals can use and leverage outside of traditional employment formats. Take furniture making and product design, for example. This long-standing relationship between architects diving into furniture and product design can be seen in pieces like Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Chair, the Eames' line of iconic chairs, Zaha Hadid's Mesa Table, or my personal favorite Eero Aarnio's Ball Chair.

This merging of craft and discipline has offered individuals with a background in architecture to pursue other branches of design to satisfy their creative interests. In Archinect's Working Out of the Box series, we've had the opportunity to chat with several architects and designers who have pivoted their professional interests into specialized craft-related disciplines such as textile design, sculpture, and furniture/product design. We learn how valuable and multi-dimensional an architecture background can be th...

In one of Hong Kong's fastest-changing districts, a community-driven installation marks the physical memory of past lives

2021-11-30T15:23:00-05:00

As part of an effort to enhance the quality of life for residents of Hong Kong’s North Point district, a new public art installation will provide an inspiring space for a reimagined kind of citizenry brought on by the neighborhood’s contemporary transformation and supported by the Hong Kong Arts Centre (HKAC).

Suzanne Li, Eric Chan, and Joyce Fok are the trio behind the installation. The Hong Kong-born designers represent O&O Studio and REhyphenation respectively and were selected along with five other designs to create projects as part of the museum’s Via North Point Festival.

Image © Studio Kevin Mak

Meant as a reflection on the public uses of the causeway, the installation Siu Kai Fong utilizes some of the communal furnishings best upon the neighborhood by its residents.

Stating that they were looking to include “pieces that have stories to tell,” the architects reached out to community members, schools, and local businesses for donations which eventually...

10 interior spaces that stood out this week

2021-10-23T09:00:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Interiors.

Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles.

↑ Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library in New York, NY by Mecanoo and Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners LLP; Photo: John Bartelstone

↑ Jiunvfeng · Cloud of Hometown Resort Hotel in Tai’an, China by line+; Photo: Pan Jie, zystudio

↑ Huinawai in Hawai'i by Walker Warner Architects (the firm was also featured in Archinect's Studio Snapshots series); Interiors: NICOLEHOLLIS; Landscape: David Y. Tamura Associates; Photo: Matthew Millman

↑ Dogtrot Residence in Jackson, WY by CLB Architects; Landscape: Agrostis Inc.; Photo: Audrey Hall

↑ Dwana Smallwood Performing Arts Center in Brooklyn, NY by Jordan Parnass Digital Arc...

Savio Firmino unveils chair collection inspired by architectural landmarks, underwritten by the Blockchain

2021-10-01T12:42:00-04:00

Italian furniture and interior design studio Savio Firmino has unveiled a collection of 16 chairs inspired by some of the world’s most iconic architectural landmarks. Titled CITYNG, and designed in collaboration with artist Cosimo De Vita, the collection was exhibited at the 2021 Salone del Mobile in September. The iconic design event, which was curated this year by Stefano Boeri, came one month after the Salone del Mobile appointed Maria Porro as its new president.

Image courtesy of Savio Firmino

The collection of 16 chairs depicts both a geographical journey between West and East and a temporal journey between tradition and contemporary design. “The chair not only becomes a symbolic object of the cities but also symbolically represents their values, traditions, and cultural substratum,” explains Savio Firmino. “It starts in Europe from Florence, the hometown of both Cosimo and the Savio Firmino company, continues to Milan, the city of the Salone and of design par excellence, to t...

Jean Nouvel designs 'dazzling and lasting' kitchen for Reform

2021-09-01T08:54:00-04:00

Jean Nouvel has collaborated with Danish design company Reform on a new kitchen unit, the first designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning architect. Described as “tight and minimalist, yet characteristically dazzling and lasting,” the kitchen is defined by an understated, art deco design language. The kitchen is available in black or untreated metal, both featuring a monochrome design activated by diffuse reflections across their surface.

Image: Reform / Jean Nouvel

The kitchen is constructed of steel imbued with vertical ridges, finished in a high gloss, reflective surface. The countertops are available in stainless steel with gray and black Fenix laminate, complimenting and accentuating the unit’s reflectivity.

Image: Reform / Jean Nouvel

“Jean Nouvel and Reform occupy different ends of the design spectrum,” Reform said in a statement. “Where Jean Nouvel concerns himself with creating ‘visual landscapes’, Reform is dedicated to delivering extraordinary, yet accessible kitchen desig...

IKEA is selling renewable energy to households, starting in Sweden

2021-08-17T13:44:00-04:00

Furniture and interiors giant IKEA has announced that it is branching into selling renewable energy to households, beginning with its Swedish market in September 2021. Titled STRÖMMA, the scheme will operate as a monthly electricity subscription that allows people to source energy from wind and solar power and use an app to track their electricity usage.

In addition, customers who use IKEA solar panels, which are available in 11 countries, will be able to track their own energy production through the app and sell back surplus energy. Following a rollout of the renewable energy offer in Sweden, IKEA is hoping to expand the service, as well as its solar panel products, to all IKEA markets worldwide.

When sourcing energy, IKEA is aiming to offer electricity from solar and wind sites which are five years old or less, in order to spur the construction of new clean energy sites. The initiative also forms part of IKEA’s broader mission to become “climate positive” by 2030, reducing more gr...

The set design from 'Parasite' is getting top billing at next month's Milan Design Week

2021-08-13T14:30:00-04:00

A large wooden table located at the center of the Park family's luxurious living room, which the Kim family hides beneath after their break-in, is one of the key props visualizing the theme of socio-economic class divisions. The table, designed by Bahk Jong-sun, is one of 126 pieces of Korean craftworks that will be on display next month during Milan Design Week 2021, the world's biggest annual design and furniture fair since its inception in 1961.

The Oscar-nominated "Parasite" set was created by production designer Lee Ha-jun based on a sketch from director Bong Joon-ho. Lee is a graduate of Korea’s National University of Arts stage design program. He was introduced to Bahk Jong-sun by the artist Seungmo Park, who also created original pieces for the set.

The Milan Design Week exhibition is themed "All about Attitude" and includes 20 other works by Korean artists and designers in a five-day show that opens September 5th at the Palazzo Litta. Bahk Jong-sun produced several 3D models of the fake mansion and interiors before constructing the set. Vulture has a closer look at the 2019 movie’s production design here.

Salone del Mobile appoints Maria Porro as its new president

2021-07-22T13:27:00-04:00

Milanese furniture fair Salone del Mobile has named Maria Porro as its new president. Porro was most recently the president of Assarredo, an Italian trade association for furniture manufacturing.

Porro’s appointment comes during a notable period for the international design event, which was canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and postponed until September this year. Additionally, her arrival follows the departure of former Salone del Mobile president Claudito Lutti, who resigned in April.

“I grew up with the Salone del Mobile,” said Porro. “When I was a kid, my grandfather Carlo used to take me along to the pavilions at the old venue. I followed when the Fair moved to its new site in Rho, and I was thrilled to be able to attend the Shanghai Furniture Fair.”

Previously on Architect: Salone del Mobile 2021 to commence in September

Porro, along with the board members of Federlegno Arredo Eventi, the trade entity that owns the Salone del Mobile, will lead the event as it pr...

Herman Miller completes acquisition of Knoll, announcing new name MillerKnoll

2021-07-21T18:41:00-04:00

Herman Miller has announced that it has completed its $1.8 billion acquisition of Knoll.

The combined company, known as MillerKnoll, now comprises 19 leading brands, a presence across more than 100 countries, a global dealer network, 64 showrooms, more than 50 physical retail locations, and global multichannel eCommerce capabilities. All individual brands under Herman Miller and Knoll will continue to operate as distinct entities.

MillerKnoll will be led by Herman Miller President and CEO Andi Owen, with support from a management team made up of executives from both Herman Miller and Knoll.

“We are excited to introduce MillerKnoll, a collective of dynamic brands coming together to design the world we live in,” said Owen. “Our industry—and the world in general—is changing rapidly. Design is the way we imagine and shape a better future. In coming together, we will define and lead this transformation, like we have other transformations in our histories.”

Previously on Archinect: Her...

Umberto Riva has passed away in Italy at age 93

2021-07-01T12:48:00-04:00

Multiple news outlets are reporting that Umberto Riva has died in Italy at the age of 93.

The Italian architect was referred to as a maestro by his contemporaries who reacted to news of the passing of the architect and painter last week in Palermo.

Born to a Milanese family in 1928, Riva studied in Venice before eventually obtaining an apprenticeship in the office of Carlo Scarpa. Major works included the redevelopment of Piazza San Nazaro and the Biblioteca Europea, both in Milan; power plants in Campobasso and Termoli; a restored café in Padua; and several successful lamps for the Italian studio Tacchini.

Riva was widely known for a wide array of projects ranging from his stately private residences, well-lit interiors spaces, and designs for furniture that incorporated Riva’s sense of luminescence while communicating a simplicity of form reminiscent of his lifelong influence, Constantin Brâncuși.

“My work is constantly fostered and tested by my being in this world. Plus, there is...

Salone del Mobile 2021 to commence in September

2021-05-07T16:07:00-04:00

Salone del Mobile 2021 is going ahead in September 2021. A note by the fair confirms the next edition of the globally renowned furniture fair will take place between 5-10 September 2021, for a 59th edition ‘led by innovation and uniqueness.’

The decision comes after Salone del Mobile president Claudito Luti resigned on April 23, 2021, following a long period of uncertainty relating to the September dates and support from the Italian government for the fair to go forward. The event was originally called off following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The note explains that after much internal debate and planning, the agreement to proceed was arrived at unanimously. It highlights the event’s strengths, its historical and symbolic values, and its important role in Italy’s economic recovery.

Special thematic exhibitions are currently being planned to showcase the important work carried out by the furniture companies over the last 18 months.

Salone del Mobile was previously held in September from 1961 through 1989 before switching to April in 1990.

10 new interior spaces we liked this week

2021-04-30T13:31:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Interiors.

Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles.

↑ YTL Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF); Interiors: Ministry Of Design; Photo: David Yeow Photography

↑ Guest House in National Monument Bunde in Bunde, the Netherlands by De Nieuwe Context; Photo: Blickfänger

↑ Apartment in Santa Cruz, Portugal by Bala Atelier; Photo: Francisco Nogueira

↑ Jean Moulin Atelier-House in Paris, France by Atelier NEA; Photo: Lorenzo Zandri

↑ Emiliano Rio Hotel in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by Oppenheim Architecture and Studio Arthur Casas (Oppenheim Architecture was also featured in Archinect's Studio Snapshots series); Photo: Fernando Guerra | FG+SG Ph...

Herman Miller to take over Knoll in $1.8 billion merger

2021-04-19T15:13:00-04:00

Modern furniture design giant Herman Miller, Inc. announced its $1.8 billion acquisition plans of rival Knoll Inc. today.

"This transaction brings together two pioneering icons of design with strong businesses, attractive portfolios and long histories of innovation," commented Andi Owen, President and CEO of Herman Miller as well as the future combined company. "As distributed working models become the new normal for companies, businesses are reimagining the office to foster collaboration, culture and focused work, while supporting a growing remote employee base. At the same time, consumers are making significant investments in their homes. With a broad portfolio, global footprint and advanced digital capabilities, we will be poised to meet our customers everywhere they live and work."

Bloomberg reports that the merger would help the companies "feed into the transformation of home and office as work continues to be split between the two."

The combination is expected to close by the...