Monobloc. What matters is that you sit
The best-selling piece of furniture of all time: With “Monobloc”, Hauke Wendler has succeeded in making a great documentary that is much more than a film about design. He tracks […]
Gio Ponti. Cheerful, Mediterranean, modern
Ornament and pleasure: He designed the Pirelli skyscraper in Milan, breathtaking villas in Caracas, a super-light chair and interiors of shimmering elegance. Now publisher Taschen-Verlag celebrates Gio Ponti’s versatile oeuvre […]
Children’s book highlights about design: Sparkly words, strange machines and many colourful suns
Children are always designing something. Design is basically a matter of course for them. So they are happy when they can play with letters, words and pictures and learn something […]
Charlotte Perriand – It’s not about the object, it’s about the person
The French designer and architect Charlotte Perriand argued passionately for modernism and put the art of living in bare, plain spaces to the test. A documentary on Arte hears from […]
Gerd A. Müller: design that is subordinate and blends in
He worked in conjunction with Dieter Rams at Braun, designed for brands such as Lamy and Wega; and developed the logo for Friends of the Earth Germany. Nevertheless, people still […]
In search of the lost sense of home: Growing up Modern
What was it like to grow up in an avant-garde modernist building? Did the new way of living change life? Julia Jamrozik and Coryn Kempster talked to former residents about […]
Blade Runner: The trick to doing the future
Gigantic screens on skyscraper facades, flying cars, no sunshine, constant rain – and AI humanoids used for slave labour: a grim vision of the future once presented on the silver screen […]
“Brand New Brand”: Young brands hovering between closeness and distance
A brand-new book about successful brand development in a difficult era: “Brand New Brand”, published by gestalten, exhibits exciting examples of projects by international branding agencies. What can we learn […]
BIG. Formgiving: Gifts that keep on giving
“Formgiving” is the latest book by the Bjarke Ingels Group. It presents some 100 buildings and projects by the Danish architectural firm and takes us on a whistle-stop architectural tour […]
Alvar Aalto: Architecture was the essence of who they were
Alvar Aalto is considered one of the most influential modernist architects and designers. He was also ahead of his time in his working partnerships with his first and second wives, […]
Jürgen Dahl: How to eradicate eagles with burgers
“In a world where no less than 400,000 litres of water are used to manufacture a car, it is ridiculous to urge people to use the water in which they […]
Frank Lloyd Wright: Building with nature, not against it
Many consider Frank Lloyd Wright to be the greatest architect of the 20th century. Sigrid Faltin’s documentary “The Phoenix from the Ashes” examines his visionary architecture as much as it […]
Paul Smith – Cheerful and stripy
Paul Smith is considered a charismatic designer who produces more than fashion. A new monograph published just in time for his brand’s 50th anniversary captures the spirit and coolness of […]
Have you heard of Dieter Rams?
There is obviously no shortage of extensive, voluminous and richly illustrated books about Dieter Rams and his work. Frankfurt-based design historian Klaus Klemp has now published an annotated catalogue raisonné […]
Against the forgetting of form
By Thomas Wagner. They drive away boredom, they liberate thought and they civilise people. In a book entitled “Die blitzenden Waffen” [English: The Flashing Weapons], philosopher Robert Pfaller explores why […]
Architects on Architects: Architects, anecdotes and analogies.
Exhilarating conversations about absent colleagues: the book „architects on architects“ collects dialogues about the significant architects of the past. It proves that personal understanding is better learned by looking through […]
Spotlight: American Look
By Thomas Wagner. A fairy tale of the stylish life. Americans love the freedom of personal choice. The 1958 promotional film „American Look“ is all about the highly stylish life […]
The Citroën DS – Not of this world
An analysis of a goddess: Roland Barthes saw a magical object in the Citroën DS; others saw a profane yet well-designed vehicle. Swiss architect Christian Sumi explores the history of […]
Spotlight: Gary Hustwit – Objectified
By Thomas Wagner. Why is it like that and not like this? Gary Hustwit is a popular documentary director in the design community, a status cemented with Rams in 2018. […]
The 100-year washing machine
By Thomas Wagner. Are our technical appliances intentionally made to have a short life? The notion of planned obsolescence alleges that developers and manufacturers deliberately shorten the life of a […]