Mondrianesque Metal Shelving By Andrea Branzi Incorporates Real Birch Trees.

above: Tree 4, 2011, Anodized aluminium, Birch wood, Edition of 12, H 110 / L 250 / W 27 (cm), H 43.31 / L 98.43 / W 10.63 (inches)

“When birch tree forests are pruned or agricultural cultivations of fruit trees are picked, they are dispersed or burned. I have always been fascinated by these parts of nature, that continue to give off a grand expressive force, more powerful when they are combined with modern, perfect and industrial materials. They become mysterious, always diverse, unique, unrepeatable and somewhat sacred presences. Trees, trunks and branches are part of our ancient culture but also of actual culture, because in the age of globalization, design searches to trace recognizable ‘anthropological’ platforms. The collection, ‘Trees’ consists to place simple, everyday objects, books, and images next to the strange presence of branches and trunks, like in the reality of the world.” - Andrea Branzi

Italian architect and designer Andrea Branzi melds metal and nature in his latest series of shelving, Trees. On exhibit now through May 16th at the Carpenters Workshop Gallery in Paris, the seven functional art pieces are sold in editions of 12.


above: artist, designer and architect Andrea Branzi

press release: In a short time, Carpenters Workshop Gallery in Paris has already treated us to a regular and rich demonstration of Design Art: in March Andrea Branzi was given space to express himself as a free and committed thinker with this new collection, « Trees ».


above: Tree 1, 2010, Anodized aluminium, Birch wood, Edition of 12, H 100 / L 120 / W 27 (cm), H 39.37 / L 47.24 / W 10.63 (inches)

above: Tree 8, 2010, Anodized aluminium, Birch wood, Edition of 12, H 205 / L 140 / W 35 (cm), H 80.71 / L 55.12 / W 13.78 (inches)

In a space that was once the Galerie de France, a place where contemporary art flourished, Catherine Thieck will come back to pose a few objects from her own collection on the shelves of Andrea Branzi. Works by Marcel Duchamp, Constantin Brancusi, Méret Oppenheim and Rebecca Horn will fill the shelves of an artist whose personality and preoccupations have remained consistently at the avant-garde of the architecture and design world.


above: Tree 3, 2010, Anodized aluminium, Birch wood, Edition of 12, H 80 / L 165 / W 27 (cm), H 31.5 / L 64.96 / W 10.63 (inches)

The Italian architect and designer Andrea Branzi, born in 1938, was ahead of his time in Florence in 1966 when he set up Archizoom associati, the first, internationally renowned avant-garde group. In order to define this remarkable character, one must use the vocabulary of projects: theoretical research, new design, experimental laboratory, leeway, mass creativity, new organisation… He also knows how to share his battles, he coordinates and curates exhibitions, he regularly exhibits his personal work, publishes manifestos, teaches generations of students and participates in conferences all over the world. In fact, multiple spaces would be needed to cover all angles of the man: a screening room, an auditorium, a museum and more than a few metres of shelf space.



above: Tree 9 (closed and open), 2010, Anodized aluminium, Birch wood, Edition of 12, H 252 / L 140 / W 35 (cm), H 99.21 / L 55.12 / W 13.78 (inches)

Andrea Branzi is passionate about the morphology of urban space; he breaks down the accepted codes and vigorously shakes the foundations of the ever-present conventions. Today more than ever, this insatiable troublemaker continues to disrupt the status quo and places humans and nature at the centre of his thinking.


above: Tree 2, 2010, Anodized aluminium, Birch wood, Edition of 12, H 100 / L 120 / W 27 (cm), H 39.37 / L 47.24 / W 10.63 (inches)

« Trees » represents a continuation of his thinking on architecture. He creates a minimalist space of shelves, veritable pieces of micro-architecture made from aluminium that spread out in neo-plastic bursts like a Mondrian. However, through the splits in the frame, Andrea Branzi introduces trunks and twigs gathered in the wild. This strange encounter that began in the eighties with « Animali domestici », questions the duality of the nature-culture relationship.


above: Tree 5, 2010, Brilliant polished aluminium, Birch wood, Edition of 12, H 300 / L 200 / W 27 (cm), H 118.11 / L 78.74 / W 10.63 (inches)

With « Trees », he adds a dimension, an extra slice of soul, as nature becomes art, a contemporary icon, an emotional window linked to the knowledge of the vital importance of this precious, common heritage.



Pieces on show:
Seven shelves, in different shapes and formats, in aluminium (annodized and polished) and birch wood.


ANDREA BRANZI / TREES
PARIS / SATURDAY 10 MARCH - 16 MAY 2012
OPENING/ SATURDAY 10 MARCH / 4 - 9 PM
carpentersworkshopgallery.com
54 rue de la Verrerie Paris 75004

Lego-Like Recycling Containers from Flussocreativo.

Named LECO, these plastic recycling containers (patent pending) are designed to emulate giant Lego Bricks. Designed by the Italian industrial interior and graphic design company Flussocreativo, the project is described as follows:

Leco is an ecological station facility, young and colorful with a strong reference playful etched in collective memory.



Containers designed for separate collection, composed of five elements in polymer of which two are for aluminium and glass, respectively blue and green, and two, of larger size, for paper (white) and plastic (yellow).



The originality of the form of Leco deviates from the classic collection container for trying to involve the user through two major aspects: the liking for aesthetics and modular functionality.

Leco is clearly a reference to the “Lego”, a world game that, since you’re a child, increases the ability to manage and combine small items, stimulating creativity.



Hence the desire to create, even if for a delicate issue such as environmental conservation, the opportunity to interact with the containers in a nice way, overcoming aesthetic and formal obstacles.



The result of that vision has led us to create a collector who had the power to attract people, not only for its use, but also for its ability of solving space problems and induce to the practice of daily separate collection.

Specifically, each container has an external shell with both extremities channel into assembly, that recall, in a very intuitive way, the handiness of interlocking between elements typical of the game “Lego”; while in the front, there is folding door designed to accommodate the bag.

Leco is a new, exciting and colorful solution to try to improve the aptitude to recycle in a spontaneous way, by giving a daily aid to the environment.



via Designboom

Funky Find of The Week: Hole In The Floor Storage By Raw Edges Design Studio.

Hole In the Floor is a collection of special edition wood storage units for books that appear to be coming out of the floor by Israel based Raw Edges Design Studio.

About Raw Edges Design Studio:

above: Yael Mer and Shay Alkalay

This official collaboration between Yael Mer & Shay Alkalay started after many years of sharing life, thoughts, ideas and everything in-between. Yael’s main focus includes turning two-dimensional sheet materials into curvaceous functional forms, whereas Shay is fascinated by how things move, function and react.

Since their graduation show at the Royal College of Art in 2006, they have received several highly respected awards including The British Council Talented Award, iF Gold Award, Dutch Design Award, Wallpaper* Design Award 2009 and the Elle Decoration International Design Award for best furniture of 2008_09 and just recently the Designer of the Future Award for 2009 from Design Miami/ Basel.

Their works have been exhibited at Johnson Trading Gallery in New York, FAT Galerie in Paris, Scope Art Fair in Basel and Rossana Orlandi Milan. Their designs can be found within the permanent collection of the MoMA New-York and The Design Museum London, and in production with Cappellini, Established & Sons and Arco. In addition, Yael & Shay produce unique and limited-edition designs within their own studio in London. Their work has been featured in many major design publications and newspapers worldwide.



See more of their wonderful concepts and production pieces here

Do you Know the Muffin Man? Matteo Bianchi Introduces Muffin Pouffes. Sweet Seats & Storage.

Matteo Biancho, creative director and founder of Daruma Design, an interior design business based in London, has designed a new sweet seat.




The Muffin Pouffe functions as a seat, an ottoman and/or hidden storage. Made with a handcrafted wood base and premium Italian leathers and buttons, it's both playful and elegant.



The storage base is lined with a leather sleeve:


Available with or without concealed storage, it has unlimited options in finishing or colors which means you can 'bake' your own.


wood base and colored leather combinations:


Standard model starts at £799 and Storage model at £1,299
To order your Muffin Pouffe, contact Matteo Bianchi

Jellio Cupcake Seat -
A similar idea, but in funkier colors and materials, is the Cupcake Seat from Jellio. These have a molded rubber top and colored polyurethane shells:



The cupcake seat will cost you $900 and can be purchased here.