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To celebrate 15 years of Gallery Fumi, the London gallery is hosting the Growth + Form exhibition of “functional art”, featuring sculptural furniture and lighting with organic forms.
The Growth + Form exhibition includes new works by 16 of the 28 past Gallery Fumi exhibitors, responding to themes of transformation, regeneration and biological growth patterns.
The Growth + Form exhibition celebrates Gallery Fumi’s 15th anniversary
It was designed by architectural designer Leendert De Vos and curated by design historian Libby Sellers, who invited former exhibitors back to showcase new pieces in a group display.
The exhibition title and theme were informed by the On Form and Growth book by Scottish biologist D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson, which analyses the mathematical harmony of growing shapes in biology.
Pieces in the exhibition were informed by biology
Responding to this biological starting point, furniture and lighting with organic shapes and natural materials can be seen throughout the exhibition.
Danish artist Stine Bidstrup created a sculptural chandelier titled Light Entanglements, made up of twisting clusters of hand-blown glass.
Light Entanglements is a chandelier made from hand-blown glass
Different lengths of painted sticks were combined to create Marmaros Metamorphosis II, a circular decorative wall piece with a textured, tufted-like surface by sculptor Rowan Mersh.
“Revisiting the very beginning of his career when Mersh used cheap materials to experiment with techniques, in this work using lacquered coloured sticks, he creates forms with the details and skill level he currently attains when using precious materials,” said Gallery Fumi.
Seating crafted from a single yew log is featured in the exhibition
As the gallery celebrates its 15th anniversary, Sellers likened its growth to the formation of crystals – the material traditionally associated with 15-year anniversaries.
“Grown from small particles into a solid form of geometric beauty, crystal is both a poetic metaphor for Gallery Fumi’s own development over the last 15 years and an opportunity to explore the creative affinity between science, art, and the intricate nature of constructions,” said Sellers.
“After all, is this not a definition of design? The meeting of knowledge, form-making, material exploration and beauty?” Sellers added.
“The works are vibrant and active – sprouting, swirling, twisting, turning – transferring material and form into objects of beauty.”
Wegworth created a crystal salt vase for the exhibition
Also on show was a wooden cabinet covered in hand-painted shingles by Berlin-based designer Lukas Wegwerth, who also created a crystal salt vase titled Crystallization 183.
“Crystallization 183 was identified by Sellers as most significant for the exhibition, as not only is the 15-year anniversary traditionally celebrated with crystal, but the process of growing the crystals is a poetic metaphor for Fumi’s growth as a gallery,” Gallery Fumi said.
The wall sculpture Marmaros Metamorphosis II has a tufted texture
Other pieces on display include a sculptural copper floor lamp with a stone base by London design studio JamesPlumb and a chair by British designer Max Lamb crafted from a single yew log.
“Tapping into the creative affinity between science and art, the pieces created for the show will display fluid organic forms, natural materials and geometric structures,” said Gallery Fumi.
The exhibition is on display from 7 to 30 September
Gallery Fumi was founded in 2008 by Valerio Capo and Sam Pratt. It has previously showcased work including a Jesmonite lighting collection by British designer Lara Bohinc and a limited-edition bench by JamesPlumb made using medieval dying techniques.
The photography is courtesy of Gallery Fumi.
The Growth + Form exhibition is on display at the Gallery Fumi in London, UK, from 7 to 30 September 2023. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.
Villa K340’s Split-Level Design traces the undulating terrain
Architect Francois Verhoeven constructs Villa K340 in Vroondaal, a natural and recreational area near the Hague, aiming to blend modernity with nature. The region encompasses several designated residential complexes, such as ‘De Hoogte’ where the house stands. The area allows modern villas to be built in a landscape of artificially constructed hills.
K340’s design aligns with the concept of a split-level layout that runs along the contours of the undulating terrain. The entrance rests at a lower elevation while the living areas perch atop the hill, forging a dynamic interplay between architecture and landscape. The project features a juxtaposition of raw, natural materials against sleek design elements. Wooden components and lime plaster, contrast the facade’s clean divisions and slender aluminum window frames. Wooden cladding extends in front of windows and along the front facade, creating a robust silhouette. In the evening, light shines through the gaps of the cladding elements from within the villa.
all images courtesy of Francois Verhoeven Architect
wooden cladding coats the house creating a robust exterior
A large pivot door merges into the facade when closed, offering a sense of privacy and structural delineation at the entrance area. A central staircase and adjoining outdoor spaces provide views of the villa’s various levels. The design team attends to meticulous detailing to ensure fluid transitions between interior and exterior spaces, concealing the window frames behind cladding and plasterwork. The wooden facades cover up the roof edges and blend gracefully with set-back windows, extending the main shape from the top to ground level. Floor-to-ceiling windows free of mullions and thresholds are incorporated into the interior, integrating into the walls.
the design of Villa K340 aims to blend modernity with nature
Francois Verhoeven inserts eco-Friendly Features in Villa K340
Aiming for a sustainable design, the project features triple glazing, a geothermal heat pump, CO2-controlled ventilation, and strategically designed overhangs that provide shade in the summer and allow plentiful sunlight in during the winter. Solar panels, discreetly set behind the elevated roof edge, keep the villa’s energy consumption to a minimum. The villa’s garage, thoughtfully integrated into the architectural design, features a green roof. The roof, the surrounding organic garden and pond are designed and landscaped by Biotooptuinen and complement the modern design, enhancing the house’s overall aesthetic appeal.
the project features a split-level layout
the entrance rests at a lower elevation while the living areas perch atop the hill
the surrounding organic garden and pond complement the modern design
Hempcrete walls and a patchwork facade characterise Hempcrete Mewshouse, a three-storey home that local studio Cathie Curran has added to a derelict site in east London.
Located in Forest Gate, the home was built around a gridded structure made from steel and timber and features a variety of natural materials, including oak, accoya, hempcrete and terracotta. It replaces a derelict single-storey garage on a small mews site.
“The single storey lock-up had been unused for some time, the structure was unsound and there was a huge pit in the makeshift floor slab for working on car engines,” studio founder Cathie Curran told Dezeen.
Hempcrete walls and a patchwork facade characterise Hempcrete Mewshouse
Expressing the home’s structural grid, the street-facing facade is clad in a patchwork-like pattern of materials, including panels of dark accoya wood planks, which can be opened in places for ventilation.
In other places, hempcrete blocks are waterproofed with a lime render and covered in terracotta tiles, which have been placed in alternating directions.
“The facade is an expression of the steel and timber tartan grid hybrid structure,” explained Curran. “The brief required maximum adaptability and an unobstructed plan at ground level, so a steel frame was employed to delineate circulation and service areas and define the main spaces.”
The home features a variety of natural materials
To enclose the home from the rest of the mews, the studio built a series of screens around the site, creating a semi-private front courtyard bordered by dark grey gates and fences.
Accessed through an accoya door built into the grid of the facade, the home’s entrance hall features a ceiling and walls clad entirely in oiled oak, while a textural concrete floor draws on the industrial past of the site.
A full-height stairwell sits on one side of the entrance hall
A full-height stairwell to one side of the entrance hall stretches between all three floors of the home and is lit by a skylight. While the staircase is mainly made from oak, the base and two lowest steps are made from concrete, softening the transition between the stairs and the light concrete floor below.
“The oak offers a soothing, organic contrast to the hard mineral atmosphere of the lane,” said Curran. “The top-lit entrance space is mysterious, a decompression chamber to emphasise the transition from chaos to calm.”
The stairwell is lit by a skylight
Beyond the lobby, open living spaces featuring oak joinery and furnishings have been arranged across the ground floor, punctuated by oak-clad columns.
With a wall of glazing set in oak frames and doors that open onto the back garden, the double-height space at the end of the kitchen showcases the hempcrete panels that enclose the upper levels of the home.
The top floors of Hempcrete Mewshouse comprise bedrooms and bathrooms along with a first-floor study which overlooks the kitchen and can be separated from the space below by shutters.
Finished with warm-toned joinery, the bathrooms feature walls and floors covered in terracotta tiles, as well as openable oak wall panels and full-height windows.
“Ancient materials such as lime plaster, oak, terracotta, marble, and pale ground concrete contrast with the industrial tone of the street, evoking a gentler time and place,” said Curran.
The top floors of Hempcrete Mewshouse comprise bedrooms and bathrooms
When designing the home, London-based studio Cathie Curran arranged the rooms to allow for future separation of the home into two apartments, each with separate access from the street.
“The timber beams and joists can be redeployed to subdivide the house into a pair of apartments, likewise non-load-bearing timber stud hempcrete partitions can be easily removed,” said the studio.
“The structure will permit easy conversion into two separate units, each with independent street access, if desired. Multigenerational occupancy, co-living or social care provision, even commercial activity, could all be accommodated.”
The bathrooms feature walls and floors covered in terracotta tiles
Elsewhere in London, Office S&M transformed an Edwardian home with bright colours and graphic shapes while Unknown Works used pink concrete walls to add a terraced landscape to a Victorian townhouse.
Design studio Isern Serra has transformed a computer-generated image by digital artist Six N Five into a rose-coloured retail space for the Moco Museum in Barcelona.
Situated in Barcelona’s El Born neighbourhood, the Moco Museum exclusively exhibits the work of modern artists such as Damien Hirst, Kaws, Yayoi Kusama and Jeff Koons.
The institution’s eponymous concept store has a similarly contemporary offering, selling a mix of design, fashion and lifestyle goods.
The store’s interior is completely covered in pink micro-cement
Its surreal pink interior started out as a computer-generated image by Six N Five, a digital artist known for envisioning other-worldly dreamscapes in pastel hues.
Barcelona-based design studio Isern Serra then brought the image to life, using pink micro-cement to achieve the same uniform, ultra-smooth surfaces seen in the drawing.
Products are displayed inside huge circular display niches
“The Moco Concept Store represented an interesting challenge, as I had to combine the purpose of the store with actual architecture remaining true to our original dreamy world I had built in CGI,” explained Six N Five, whose real name is Ezequiel Pini.
“But these concepts were able to go one level further, both in decisions and execution, thanks to Isern Serra who brought its extraordinary talent and experience.”
Arched and square niches have also been punctured into the walls
The store’s rosy interior can be seen through two large openings in its facade – one of them is rectangular, while the other is slightly curved and contains the entrance door.
A series of chunky columns run through the middle of the space. Surrounding walls have been punctured with arched, square and circular display niches, some of which are dramatically backlit.
Rows of shelves and a frame for a tv screen have also been made to project from the wall.
A faux skylight sits directly above pink display plinths
The store’s largely open floor plan is only interrupted by a few pink cylindrical plinths used to showcase products, and a bespoke pink cashier desk with an integrated computer system.
Custom spotlights have been installed on the ceiling, along with a faux skylight.
The store’s custom furnishings, like the cashier desk, are also rendered in pink
An increasing number of creatives are making their virtual designs a reality.
Last year, digital artist Andres Reisinger collaborated with furniture brand Moooi to produce a physical version of his Instagram-famous Hortensia chair, which was initially a rendering.
The piece is covered with 20,000 pink fabric petals, emulating the almost fluffy appearance of a hydrangea flower.
In Sweden, designer Christoffer Jansson passed off a virtual apartment as an Instagram home renovation project.
Inner Mongolia Normal University Sculpture Research Center – The project, which covers an area of 6,000 square meters, mainly functions as a sculpture workshop for research and development and production of various types of sculptures (stone, wood, copper, iron, plastic, leather, jade and pottery). It also has the functions of teaching, communication, exhibition and negotiation, and trading, etc. The creativity of the design is to establish the relationship between space and feeling.
Architizer chatted with Zhang Pengju at INNER MONGOLIAN GRAND ARCHITECTURE DESIGN CO., LTD. to learn more about this project.
Architizer: What inspired the initial concept for your design?
Zhang Pengju: The initial design concept came from the moving line of users entering the site, the organization structure guided by which established a series of overall orders in terms of form, space and structure, including: a movement line order that conforms to the relationship of the site, a form order that conforms to the functional needs, a structure order that conforms to the logic of construction, and a time order that conforms to the feeling of site. At the same time, it also further guides the selection of materials in line with the spatial temperament and the lighting strategy in line with the physical logic.
This project won in the 10th Annual A+Awards! What do you believe are the standout components that made your project win?
At the core are construction, materials, low cost, light, and their interrelation. In the design, light steel was selected as the main structure and recycled concrete blocks served as the wall enclosure space. As both the structure and finishing, the block material expresses the sense of authenticity, achieves durability, and at the same time costs less. The design introduces sky light into the interior, maximizing the expression of the rough and natural block material and the hard and frank steel structure, reinforcing the feeling of a constant and natural site.
What was the greatest design challenge you faced during the project, and how did you navigate it?
The greatest design challenge was to create an artistic and infectious spatial character. The design laid the foundation of the spatial character by means of spatial staging and enclosure, such as the staging of the space with axial guidance and dynamic variations; the enclosure was completed with the enclosing form of the entrance and the interior light environment; the design also strengthened this spatial character with the attributes of authenticity and purity, such as the authenticity of the materials and the construction. At the same time, the materials, construction, light and shadow also strive to express purity.
Design group TIM Architects, led by Felipe Aracama, constructs ‘Casa Pekin’ in Buenos Aires, a ‘floating’ residence made of concrete and glass. Following the studio’s characteristic design guidelines, the composition is defined by the purity of the facades, the absence of ornaments and moldings, the glazed expanses, and the well-formed spatial division of the interior according to the use of each zone. The rationalist imprint and attention to minimalism prevail in architecture while the classic modern movement holds a fundamental part of the design approach.
The residence arranges three main areas, with two bedrooms, the kitchen separated from the living-dining room, and the leitmotiv of the work, the social space. The common zone stands as the most significant space surrounded by glass openings and exposed concrete surfaces shielding the frame. ‘The rationalist traits of ‘Casa Pekin’s’ architecture derive from the modern movement accentuating the purity of the form, the geometry of its elements, and the use of materials such as concrete, wood, and glass’, shares Felipe Aracama of TIM Architects. Analyzing the front of the house two main plans are outlined, a blind one and a glazed one.
the project applies materials such as concrete, wood, and glass
internal arrangement separates common zones
Another important feature of the construction is the formation of the eaves. The proposed intention holds the structure floating above the ground while the slab on the ground floor seems to hover. The house seems lightweight, a sensation reinforced by details such as the absence of supports in the gallery. The eaves hang light casting an intricate shadow over the social space. The separation between the kitchen and the social space intends not to integrate two disparate functions, and to provide each of the spaces with the necessary comfort without interference.
the proposed intention holds the structure floating above the ground
the house seems lightweight through the absence of supports in the gallery
L’Atalante art house cinema by Farid Azib in Bayonne
Paris-based architectural firm Farid Azib reconstructs L’Atalante art house cinema in the center of Bayonne, France, forming a contemporary white angular facade. Originally built in 1990, the edifice is located on the waterfront of Amiral-Antoine-Sala on the right bank of the Adour, just below the Saint-Esprit bridge leading to the city center. The refurbishment program demanded the conjunction of two cinemas adjoining one building and expanding the dedicated theater plan. Aiming for a design that retains the historical character of the site yet explores the possibilities of architectural modernity, the project shapes contrasting forms and materials displaying its dynamic frame in striking white color, standing out between the rest of the buildings on the embankment.
L’Atalante art house cinema | all images by Luc Boegly
angular frames are a conceptual nod to the Seventh Art
Drawing from a conceptual take on windows and frames in connection to the Seventh Art, the design team at Farid Azib Architects focuses on the main feature of the facade’s openings to form the building’s external identity, sharing ‘the cinema facade is essential in enhancing our visibility with its openings on to the river and its uniqueness which makes it very cinematic-like’.
The frames are exposed to the southwest allowing the light on each side to pass through both the interior and the exterior, regarding natural and artificial light respectively. ‘The facade stands all at once discreet and surprising, integrated and singular, asymmetrical, deconstructed and harmonious, angular and wise, soft and open’. The glass apertures project landscapes, movements, silhouettes, and lights like an ever-changing film scene underlined by the orientations of the different viewpoints. Thus the facade is made up of prismatic projecting volumes, created with light prefabricated elements forming an interaction between the interior and exterior space.
the project sets up a contemporary white angular facade
The cinema hall undergoes specialized interior planning
The interior arrangement of the building consists of a new hall, a bar-restaurant, and cinema zones, combining the reception and dining area through a system of a wooden mesh on three levels channeling the flows and allowing the installation of access control points to the cinema halls. Two apartment units are housed within the plot of L’Atalante, setting sound protection as one of the major planning factors.
The transversal bar-restaurant forms the strategic link between the existing transformed spaces and the extension, shaping a long wooden counter made of oak wood sourced from the original building’s flooring construction. Thus, the cinema and music bar-restaurant rooms are designed as airtight boxes to avoid any sound leaks. Acoustic lining and independent double wall, double frame, uncoupled from the structure, as well as floors with independently treated slabs complement the protected framework. The restoration remodels the screening rooms providing expanded seating areas and larger projection screens. The structure opens toward the city and the riverbank shaping wide frames along with loggias and terraces.
recessed prismatic frames form the building’s external identity
Design duo Eneris Collective has collaborated with Barcelona-based biomaterials company NaifactoryLAB to produce a playful stool for children made from waste olive pits.
The Nontalo stool is constructed from six modules – three P-shaped pieces that can be combined and positioned in different ways and three straight rods that hold them together, forming a variety of shapes from a three-legged stool to a bench seat and many alternatives in between.
The Nontalo kids’ stool can be assembled in various ways
All of the modules are made entirely of Reolivar, a smooth cork-like material that NaifactoryLAB created by mixing olive pits with bio-based binders and other natural ingredients.
Spanish designers Irene Segarra and Irene Martínez, who came together under the name Eneris Collective for this project, describe Nontalo as a seating design “where play, spontaneity and sustainability are in harmony”.
The stool is made of Reolivar, a biomaterial made from olive pits
The duo created the stool after NaifactoryLAB invited them to experiment with Reolivar and develop new applications for the biocomposite.
“For four months, we worked with this new material,” Martínez told Dezeen. “We got to know the possibilities it has, the pros and cons, and what its limits are.”
“The idea was to generate a structure that doesn’t have the obvious shape of a stool with a seat and legs, but maintains the same function,” she continued.
Three rods hold the stool together
The designers began by deciding on a series of words and concepts to define their intention of the project before sketching proposals and interweaving these different ideas.
“Our inspiration throughout this design stage was children’s construction sets,” said Martínez.
The duo initially created a right-angled design for the P-shaped modules but ended up turning the legs out by five degrees after realising it created better weight distribution as well as bringing a sense of harmony.
To lock the pieces together, users simply have to slot the straight rods through their central opening.
Eneris Collective shaped the Reolivar pieces in custom moulds, which Martínez says has the benefit of limiting waste as there are no offcuts.
The material can be composted at the end of its life or returned to NaifactoryLAB for recycling. The stool’s mono-material design makes this particularly straightforward, as there are no other materials or components to separate.
The design is meant to invite play and spontaneity
Over the course of its life, the material will age according to its environmental conditions and will last longer in dry, indoor environments away from humidity and rain, according to NaifactoryLAB.
The biomaterials company first developed Reolivar in 2020 using a bunch of olive pits grabbed from a dish at the end of a meal. Since then, it has been turned into a range of products including lamps, bowls, mirrors and trophies.
Eneris Collective is now working to develop a wider Nontalo Kids seating collection, building on the same shapes and ideas.
A number of other designers are experimenting with biomaterials in an attempt to produce more sustainable furniture. Some recent examples include mycelium lampshades from Estonian company Myceen and a stool and side table by Carolina Härdh, made from food waste for Gothenburg restaurant Vrå.
Architecture studios Carmody Groarke and TRANS Architectuur Stedenbouw have collaborated with material researchers to develop a brick made from local construction waste, which will be used to build the new wing of the Design Museum Gent.
The Gent Waste Brick was designed together with circular economy specialist Local Works Studio and materials manufacturer BC Materials to be low-carbon, reportedly carrying just one-third of the embodied carbon of a typical Belgian clay brick.
The Gent Waste Brick is made from recycled concrete and glass
The brick is made from 63 per cent recycled municipal waste sourced from Ghent, which was collected from a local recycling centre for demolition concrete and glass.
These recycled materials are mixed with lommelzand sand from the Belgian municipality of Lommel and bound together with hydraulic lime and ground calcium carbonate.
The pale grey tone of the brick was informed by the colour of local buildings
The bricks are cured in a humid environment for two weeks and then left to air-dry rather than being fired, reducing the amount of energy needed to manufacture them.
Instead, the material gets its strength through a process known as mineral carbonation, which involves the calcium carbonate in the brick reacting with carbon dioxide in the surrounding air.
“The carbonation will continue forever on the facade, making the blocks stronger and stronger over the years,” TRANS Architectuur Stedenbouw told Dezeen.
“This fabrication process, coupled with the use of recycled composites, results in a brick with 0.17 kilograms of CO2e per kilogram – just one-third the embodied carbon of a Belgian clay-fired brick.”
The bricks are cured in a humid setting and left to dry naturally
Designed for the external facade of Design Museum Gent’s new wing, the Gent Waste Brick has a pale grey colour that references the colour of other civic buildings local to the city and was certified for building use in September 2022.
“The team have worked closely alongside the Design Museum Gent to produce a highly crafted, bespoke material object that embodies the culture and ethos of the institution, challenging the material qualities and aesthetic properties of a traditional brick and adding to the lineage of design objects displayed and cared for by the museum,” said Carmody Groarke.
The bricks will be used for the Design Museum Gent extension. Image by Carmody Groarke, TRANS Architectuur Stedenbouw and RE-ST
Design Museum Gent is organising workshops for local residents to take part in making some of the bricks that will be used in the extension’s construction.
“The bricks will be manufactured on a brownfield site in Ghent using a clean simple production process, which could easily be replicated in other urban settings,” said Carmody Groarke. “There are no resultant emissions, by-products or waste.”
Other brick alternatives featured on Dezeen include Kenoteq’s unfired K-Briq, which is made of 90 per cent construction waste, and masonry blocks made from algae-based cement by Prometheus Materials.
