In this quick ten-minute gallery tour, curator Ellen Lupton talks about indie publishing, typographic spectacle, non-normative software use, design as fiction and more. The exhibition explores some of the most vibrant sectors and genres of contemporary graphic design from 2000 to the present. Be sure to catch the exhibition before it closes on September 3rd,...
According to Jim Pynn, Superintendent of Newtown Creek’s 52-acre water waste treatment plant, the plant’s star architectural feature is eight futuristic, stainless steel–clad “digester eggs.” Tours of the facility began less than a year ago. Our tour started early in the morning in the new Visitor Center. Once inside, it was hard to hear over...
Paul Johnson, who established Johnson Trading Gallery in 2007, welcomed Design Watch Members for a look into the gallery’s mix of vintage and contemporary pieces by emerging designers. Highlights included Max Lamb’s hand-molded wax and nanocrystalline copper chairs; Kwangho Lee’s customized electric cables hand-woven and fashioned into lamps; Ricky Clifton’s Egyptian-styled furniture and...
Design Watch Members from across the nation met in Miami for a memorable week of design. The seventh edition of Design Miami/ featured the world’s leading galleries specializing in 20th and 21st century collectible design. This year’s expanded fair included 28 galleries. Among them, Cristina Grajales Gallery, Galerie Maria Wettergren, Moss, Mark McDonald, Venice Projects,...
Cooper-Hewitt Youth Programs students were in for an exciting excursion when they ventured outside the city to nearby New Canaan, Connecticut. They visited Philip Johnson’s Glass House and received a two-hour tour of the extensive campus. The iconic architect designed his own private residence in 1949, adding experimental single-use structures throughout his property over the...
The materials want to be something, they are waiting. Each material has its own function and potential. -Shigeru Ban Earlier this week, Cooper-Hewitt’s Design Watch Members had the special privilege of visiting Metal Shutter Houses, Shigeru Ban’s first condominium project in the United States, with Dean Maltz, Partner at Shigeru Ban Architects, and developer...
Design Watch Members explored the International Contemporary Furniture Fair with Matilda McQuaid, Deputy Curatorial Director. The tour’s theme, wallcoverings and textiles, led us to Scrapwood Wallpaper Made in Holland by Piet Hein Eek. Best known for crafting furniture from salvaged wood, Hein Eek created a line of non-woven, washable wallpaper. Next, we visited Trove for...
Excitement lurked not too far behind their sleepy demeanors as this year’s Junior and Senior Scholars students embarked on a weekend of college touring starting at 7am Friday, April 8. Our first stop included a visit to Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A meeting with Scot Osterweil, Director of the Education Arcade at the MIT Media...
Yesterday Design Watch Members toured the 10,500 square-foot library branch in Battery Park City, New York Public Library’s ‘greenest’ location. NYPL wanted a forward-looking design to emphasize their commitment to the 21st century. The bright and open spaces create a welcoming sense of community, while the design of everything from the furniture to shelving and...
A small group of Cooper-Hewitt Members had the special privilege of going on an installation tour of Color Moves: Art and Fashion by Sonia Delaunay. In the galleries, geometric prints popped with color and movement. Members previewed gorgeous gouache on paper and finished fashion pieces—embroidered swimsuits and a coat made for silent film star Gloria...
Moorhead & Moorhead, brothers Granger and Robert, welcomed Cooper-Hewitt Members to their studio last evening. Their work explores issues of function and materiality, at scales ranging from furniture to architecture. An exploration of elasticity, the Rubber Lamp is a flexible silicone shell that flips up or down. Tape Wound Borne, featured in Design Life Now:...
Design is about people, not things… Not just a catchphrase, it’s the key to Smart Design’s success. Over 90% of their designs have been brought to market, an impressive statistic for any industry. Their formula is simple: understanding the differing needs of people results in design that is truly universal. Cooper-Hewitt Members enjoyed a ‘fireside...
SIMS Municipal Recycling Facility in Brooklyn. Image courtesy of Selldorf Architects. Selldorf Architects, located at Manhattan’s Union Square, recently opened their studio to Cooper-Hewitt’s Design Watch Members. The firm has acquired an international reputation for work that is sensitive to context and program, thoughtful in execution and timeless. The firm has worked on public and...
Herzog & de Meuron's 1111 Lincoln Road parking garage—wonderful mix of cast-in-place concrete slabs and luxury shopping: Josh Owen's menorah caught my eye in Bobby Berke's shop—it's solid, simple and ceremonial, with an integrated tray to catch all the wax! Lisa Roberts, Cooper-Hewitt Board of Trustees member and I had an exciting time experiencing our...
Another day with Design Watch Members in Miami…. First stop: 1111 Lincoln Road with architect Nils Sanderson from Swiss architects’ Herzog & de Mueron’s office. Nils started the tour in front of this just completed parking garage (but this is no ordinary parking garage) that anchors the western end of the pedestrian Lincoln Road. Starting...
