The holiday season is here, and if you're looking for the perfect gift to celebrate, it's time to take a peek at Archinect's curated 2024 gift guide with items selected personally by our editorial team.
Whether you're an architect, student, or just a straight-up fan of all things design, we've got you covered. This year, our recommendations ranged in scope from must-see documentaries to home goods to architect-designed timepieces and everything that falls between.
The list is broken down into broader categories for your convenience. Now, let's take a look, vet some of the gift ideas, contemplate, test, choose, and enjoy!
Frank Gehry for Louis Vuitton: Tambour Moon Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève Sapphire — Sold here
What's better than Frank's longstanding collaboration with the luxury retailer? The watch is part of a unique collection inspired by the architecture of Gehry's Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris and the Louis Vuitton Maison in Seoul. Gehry says, like their nautical references, they "embody the notion of movement, mobility, speed."
Álvaro Siza for Lebond Watches: Lebond Siza — Sold here
Siza's watch stands out with its watch case shaped in the same form as the Pritzker winner's Leça swimming pool complex from 1966. "Space and time move architecture," he said at its unveiling. "There already exists many beautiful round watches. I want to create something different. It is an elegant and sophisticated watch. It will be my Sunday watch."
Eduardo Souto de Moura for Lebond Watches: Lebond Souto Moura — Sold here
Like his Portuguese counterpart Siza's timepiece, this twisted take on a diver's watch would make a great addition to nearly every workday wardrobe. "The 12 is the reference, and we rotate 30 degrees for optimal visibility on the wrist," Souto de Moura said about the watch. "I want the watch to be and feel as slim as possible."
Rafael Moneo for Cauny Watches: The Architects of Time Series — Sold here
Here's a watch that's sure to match your style and personality, featuring hands in a rosso pompeiano red hue that's inspired by Francisco Goya’s painting Charles IV of Spain and His Family in the Museo del Prado, which Moneo designed an extension for in 2007.
Eduardo Souto de Moura for Cauny — Sold here
Another new watch from the 2011 Pritzker winner displays time using sobering grayscale and Roman numerals. Personally, and of the other pieces in Cauny's The Architects of Time series, he says: "I like this watch because it’s simple, you can tell the time well, and it’s like a building: It has to be simple and functional, and if possible beautiful."
Santiago Calatrava for Gübelin: Ipsomatic watch — Sold here
Designing a watch can be a chance to pay tribute to the architect's approach to shaping space, and this piece for the Swiss jewelry house does so with an organic curving platinum face engraved with a hand-drawn sketch of two bulls that Calatrava says is representative of "the positive energy, the force and the permanence in a universe which is constantly changing in time." Priced around $40K USD, it's enough to make anyone contemplate its worth in such a mercurial materialistic domain.
Ma Yansong collection for FENDI — Sold here
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art architect's first attempt at making ready-to-wear fashion accessories speaks to the changing office culture of our time and is meant to be paired with the high-end brand's Peekaboo bag in sleek silver or dark blue/black colorways.
Frank Gehry handbag collection for Louis Vuitton — Sold here
In addition to the watch design, Gehry has continued his contribution to the essential Capucines lineage with this special capsule collection that debuted at the Art Basel fair in Miami.
MoMA's Subu Matisse slippers — Sold here
Take home this special Subu slipper from the MoMA Design Store before their seasonal deals run out! It features the same cut-out technique he described as "painting with scissors" that informed his practice throughout his career.
Scarf by Kadre Architects goes towards ending hunger — Sold here
This is a special line of scarves designed for the campaign to end homelessness in Los Angeles. The (currently hiring) firm has become one of Southern California's best-known architects of affordable/supportive housing and tells us, "This product allows people to participate in directly ameliorating the crisis by feeding the needy. Simultaneously, while wearing one of the scarves, they raise awareness of the issue, creating a virtuous cycle."
LEGO Architecture Notre-Dame de Paris building set from LEGO — Sold here
We covered the release of the building set back in June after the Parisian landmark announced the date of its long-awaited reopening. (Psst: it's December 8th!)
ICONIC Architecture Family Card Game from Cinqpoints — Sold here
Become a champion by mastering the basic forms, theories, and names that make up contemporary architecture in this presentation of eight 'families' selected for their diversity, architectural, technical, and cultural aspects.
Archiblocks Bauhaus from Cinqpoints — Sold here
Another set of building blocks for training future architects in the fundamentals of the Bauhaus, there are 27 total blocks made from PEFC lime wood in the special edition geared at engaging younger learners.
The Organizer's Guide to Architecture Education by Peggy Deamer, Andrea Dietz, Tessa Forde, Jessica Garcia Fritz, Palmyra Geraki, Valérie Lechêne — Sold here
In early November, Archinect featured a conversation with co-author Tessa Forde about the popular guide after the debut of one of the year's most significant new titles. This economics-driven approach and introduction to the topic for community organizers is an essential addition to any library looking to include a progressive voice on practice and new social norms.
The Notebooks and Drawings of Louis I. Kahn by Richard Saul Wurman — Sold here
This important reprinted edition of the 1962 original, co-edited by our recent feature interview guest Richard Saul Wurman, is a must-have for serious architects, artists, and designers seeking inspiration. This year. we also previewed Kahn's daughter's facsimile copy of later notebooks compiled with help from Swiss publisher Lars Müller.
Brutal Coffee — Sold here
Never forget to include Archinect's very own stimulating Brutal coffee line of roasted inspiration for your home or office gifts this holiday!
Brutalist Speaker by Transparent — Sold here
This Brutalism-inspired metal speaker sure will kick off a good time with a hefty 26.5-pound piece that has Bluetooth 5.2 capacity and is made from 70% post-consumer recycled aluminum materials.
Modernism, Inc. documentary by Jason Cohn via Amazon — Stream here
This is a special one for fans of Eliot Noyes to enjoy as filmmaker Jason Cohn (the Peabody Award-winning director of Eames: The Architect and the Painter) crafts the story of the mid-century icon in a way that also raises questions about the role of a designer in today's world.
No Comments
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.