Design Anthology I33 2022_downmagaz.net

INTERIORS / ART / ARCHITECTURE / TRAVEL / STYLE ASIA EDITION / ISSUE 33







New Design to Shape Light louispoulsen.com Louis Poulsen Asia 5 Purvis Street, #01-02, Singapore 188584. +65 6735 4880 / [email protected] louispoulsen





FROM THE EDITOR Suzy Annetta W armer weather, longer days, fresh tropical fruit, trips Image by Gavin Green Editor-in-Chief to the beach and swimming in the ocean — these are just a few of my favourite things about summer. They’re always welcome markers of the change in season, much like the arrival of the annual summer edition of Design Anthology. In this issue, one of our favourites to research and put together each year,we’ve scoured the region for stories about culture, creativity, commerce and contemporary living: from a lush space in Ho Chi Minh that looks more like a greenhouse than an office, to a community architecture project in Bali run by a local design collective. We’re also thrilled to share four stunning homes — in Hong Kong, Singapore, India and Vietnam — that reflect an equally stunning range of personalities. And with the world slowly starting to open up again, metaphorically and physically, we have a renewed sense of excitement around international travel. For the first time in a long while, I got itchy feet reading about the new hotel openings on page 76. That’s not to mention our coverage of a newly renovated museum and Frieze Art Fair’s Asia debut in Seoul (a city to which I’m very much looking forward to returning), plus we speak to Filipino fashion designer Joseph Bagasáo, who is as concerned with ethics and the environment as he is with aesthetics, and whose last collection was a reflection on the changing seasons. As always, we hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoyed producing it. Stay well. 06



MASTHEAD Issue 33 Editor-in-Chief MEDIA SALES CONTRIBUTORS Suzy Annetta [email protected] Hong Kong & Rest of World Text +852 3489 0240 Elizabeth Beattie, Faye Bradley, EDITORIAL [email protected] Sarah Bullen, Max Crosbie-Jones, Head of Editorial Joe Cummings, Christopher DeWolf, Philip Annetta Thailand Duncan Forgan, Christina Ko, Jeyup [email protected] Nartnittha Jirarayapong S Kwaak, Luo Jingmei, Karine Monié, Managing Editor +66 2 635 5185 Simon Ostheimer, Sandra Tan, Payal Simone Schultz [email protected] Uttam, Gretchen Ferrao Walker, [email protected] Yvonne Xu Editor United Kingdom Nina Milhaud Rebecca Harkness Images [email protected] [email protected] Yong Joon Choi, Barbara Cilliers, John Clewley, Regine David, CREATIVE Italy Depasquale + Maffini, Matthew Creative Director Carlo Fiorucci Gordon, Gavin Green, Tom Hoops, Jeremy Smart +39 0362 144 6000 Akira Kasuga, Khoo Guo Jie, Edmon [email protected] [email protected] Leong, MadeIn Company, Ankush Digital Producer Maria, Simon J Nicol, Hiroyuki Bertha Chan PRINTER Oki, Martin Parsekian, Kornthanat [email protected] Pipat, Evelyn Pritt, Tommaso Asia One Printing Limited Sartori, Umang Shah, Jeremy Smart, OPERATIONS 13/F, 8 Fung Yip Street Suryananddang, Đỗ Sỹ, The Ingalls Customer Support Chai Wan, Hong Kong Marion Torreros Illustration [email protected] Christine Waithera, Teng Yu Documenting creative culture DISTRIBUTORS COLOPHON [email protected] fifthblack.com Hong Kong, Macau & China Design Anthology, Asia Edition Foreign Press & Far East Media is published quarterly by Singapore & Malaysia Allscript Fifth Black Media Limited Thailand Asia Books Taiwan Multi Arts Philippines APCEI Indonesia Periplus Europe, Canada, Brazil, South Africa, US & Japan Export Press 14c, E Wah Factory Building 3rd Floor, 86–90 Paul Street 56–60 Wong Chuk Hang Road London ec2a 4ne Aberdeen, Hong Kong United Kingdom +852 3489 0240 +44 7500 949434 47 Coppin Street 68 Circular Road Richmond, Victoria, 3121 #02-01, 049422 Australia Singapore +61 3 9018 7401 08



OUR WORLD AWARDS EVENTS PODCAST The industry awards for the region’s Online and offline, we bring Take an international tour to meet design community, celebrating and thought leaders together to explore some of the most recognisable showcasing high-calibre work by names working in design, emerging and established designers the future of design and inspire architecture and interiors the people making it happen design-anthology.com/podcast design-anthology.com/awards design-anthology.com/events SHOP EMAIL WEBSITE Browse our collection of back The Dispatch is an exclusive round- Updated daily, our website is issues, books, guides, merchandise up of stories, products, events and an inspiring resource for new and more with worldwide shipping opportunities delivered straight interiors, architecture, design, to your door, wherever you are to your inbox each month travel and art stories design-anthology.com/shop design-anthology.com/dispatch design-anthology.com/australia SUBSCRIBE AUSTRALIA EDITION UK EDITION Receive four issues, as well as Published in Melbourne, Design Get to know Europe’s creative access to the digital edition and Anthology Australia focuses on community with Design Anthology exclusive invitations and discounts, Australia and New Zealand’s burgeoning creative landscapes UK, edited out of London and with an annual subscription design-anthology.com/australia published by Astrid Media design-anthology.com/subscribe designanthologyuk.com ON THE COVER FIND US Illustrations by Teng Yu A panoramic ocean and mountain Facebook ————————— @designanthologymag outlook is but one of the Instagram ———————— @designanthology.asia outstanding features of The Good Twitter ——————————— @designanthology Studio founder Kaye Dong’s Email ———————— [email protected] Hong Kong home — page 88 Online —————————— design-anthology.com Image by Edmon Leong 10

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CONTENTS Issue 33 / June 2022 Asia Edition DOSSIER STYLE 18 Openings 54 Editor’s Picks A new store opening in Bangkok Season-appropriate pieces from brands we love 20 Products 56 Profile New collections and collaborations From his provincial Philippine roots to 28 Read spending formative years in New York, serendipity has marked Manila-based Upcoming and new books on design, Joseph Bagasáo’s colourful career art, interiors and architecture from the world’s best publishers WANDERLUST 34 A Day in the Life 62 Photo Essay, Yangon We spend a day in Bangkok with Myanmar's storied former capital Charif Lona, founder and design through the lens of Australian director of multidisciplinary firm photographer Simon J Nicol Studio Act of Kindness 76 Openings 36 Museum, Seoul The best of the new boutique and In renovating parts of South Korea’s luxury designer hotels from around the National Hangeul Museum, Teo world Yang took a minimalist approach to emphasising the history and significance of the storied script 40 Studio Culture We go behind the scenes at Yellow Nose Studio, established in Berlin by Taiwanese natives Hsin-Ying Ho and Kai-Ming Tung 44 Office, Ho Chi Minh City Designed by MIA, this new office responds to the frantic concrete development of the city by bringing the greenery indoors 48 Store, Bangkok At P Palladio, the bold world of illustrator Pomme Chan and her interiors brand Swoon meets family- owned woodcraft business J. Timber 12

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CONTENTS The Summer Issue 128 Nandgaon VERNISSAGE Designed by SPASM Design Architects, this linear home on a coconut grove is 80 Art Fair, Seoul a meditation on nature, introspection and the relationship between ancient We find out more about Frieze art and modern technology fair’s Asia debut in Seoul later this year 142 Ho Chi Minh City 82 Art Scene, Thailand StudioDuo designed this penthouse Thailand’s art scene is in bloom, as a nature-infused respite from the energised by current events and driven dissonance of city life by official and unofficial festivals ARCHITECTONICS 158 Property Restoration, Indonesia Project Etere breathes life into Bali’s unfinished buildings and offers a model for property development with a social impact HOME THE FLÂNEUR 88 Hong Kong 164 Secrets in Lamu A flâneur is an urban explorer — a Asia Edition The Good Studio founder Kaye connoisseur of the street. In our Dong’s coastal family home reflects rotating column, guests share their her design expertise as well as her musings, observations and critiques of passion for wellness the urban environment in cities around the world. In this issue, author Sarah 112 Singapore Bullen explores the ancient winding streets and mesmerising landscapes of Park + Associates redesigned the Kenyan island of Lamu this Good Class Bungalow as a multigenerational home that makes room for four families and plenty of nature 14

THE CASSINA PERSPECTIVE cassina.com Capitol Complex - Table, Chair and Office Chair designed by CRS Cassina - Hommage à Pierre Jeanneret G/F Wilson House 19-27 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong T. +852 2960 0071 [email protected]

DOSSIER Design news from around the region

Renovated by designer Teo Yang, Seoul’s National Hangeul Museum honours the history of Korea’s unique writing system with a new look Image by Yong Joon Choi

DOSSIER / OPENINGS Alexander Lamont Bangkok British designer Alexander Lamont has worked in Thailand for more than two decades. His Bangkok- based workshop houses craft ateliers for various natural materials, and artisanal techniques form an integral part of each one of Lamont’s furniture, lighting, wall covering and accessory designs. Now, following the brand’s flagship store in London’s Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, Alexander Lamont has opened a new gallery in the creative hub of Warehouse 30 on the Chao Phraya. The two-level Gallery takes over a traditional shophouse building; the ground floor showcases the brand’s handcrafted gifts, accessories and decorative items, while upstairs are furniture, lighting and wall hangings curated in a tranquil showroom designed for homeowners, interior designers and architects. Whether a delicate gilded vessel made from horse-tail hair, natural lacquer and pure gold leaf, or a cabinet made of black ebony straw and layered cast bronze, what ties the pieces in the gallery together is the studio’s unmistakable combination of precious natural materials and traditional craft skills. alexanderlamont.com 18

A personal living experience. Salone Internazionale del Mobile Milan 07 > 12 June 2022 Hall 07 Stand H15 Teatro Magico table, design 967Arch Ola chair, design Team Saba Project sabaitalia.com

DOSSIER / PRODUCTS Image by Suryananddang Salvatori × John Pawson Italian natural stone specialist Salvatori has teamed up with renowned British architect John Pawson to produce Omphalos, a collection of coffee tables crafted in serene Bianco Carrara marble and Crema d’Orcia limestone. The collection references the Greek creation myth in which Zeus used two eagles to locate the centre of the world, its omphalos or ‘navel’. Pawson draws on this concept of centrality, and the resulting tables draw the gaze almost involuntarily. Omphalos tables are available in circular and rectangular versions, and feature concealed bases that make them appear to hover quietly just above the ground. salvatoriofficial.com / johnpawson.com stem. Aman Bhayana and Sugandhi Mehrotra of Noida-based studio stem. have released a new series of handcrafted table objects in aluminium, brass and gunmetal bronze. The bookend, pen stand, pen tray, table tray (pictured) and paperweight are sand-cast in solid metal by Indian craftspeople and will last for a century. Intended to change and patina over time, each piece celebrates the rawness and irregularities visible in the material to embrace beauty in its purest state. stemdesign.co 20



DOSSIER / PRODUCTS Image by Ankush Maria Living Divani × David Lopez Quincoces Continuing his partnership with Italian brand Living Divani, Spanish designer David Lopez Quincoces has created the Kasbah modular sofa. Fashioned from a solid Burmese teak frame, generously proportioned and overlaid with soft tailor-made cushions, the highly customisable sofa also features milled slats and grooves for water drainage to ensure it’s hardy enough to weather the outdoor climate. The Kasbah can be used as a daybed, a place to read or a spot to just savour the great outdoors, with modular elements of different sizes for multifunctional compositions. livingdivani.it / quincocesdrago.com Paul Matter Contemporary lighting design studio Paul Matter has unveiled Tryst, a series of chandeliers and pendants that combine a timeless visual language and materials that refine with age. With arabesque shapes, knotted almost like roots, the series plays with ideas of rigidity and flow. Finishes include aged, buffed, burnt and textured brass, and as always the pieces are created in collaboration with master craftspeople, making for a collection highly original in form and both sculptural and functional. paulmatter.com 22



DOSSIER / PRODUCTS Image by Akira Kasuga Mt. TAKAO Produce Taking inspiration from Japan’s famous Mount Takao, reportedly the world’s most- climbed mountain, and its surrounding natural beauty, Mt. TAKAO Produce designer Kunihiko Matsuba has created the TAKAO armchair. Selected from the trees grown in the area around the mountain, Japanese zelkova is used for the seat and arms, with a bending process used to achieve a seamless wood-grain finish on the arms. The slender brass-plated legs contrast with the organic qualities of the wood and add a luxurious finish to the simple yet classic chair. mttp.jp Saba × 967 Arch Italian architecture studio 967 Arch has designed the Teatro Magico dining table for Italian manufacturing company Saba. Visually echoing the softness of fabric, the table legs can be united to form a central pillar or separated to bookend the table, much like a curtain being opened or closed. The tabletop, made of lacquered MDF in one of three different finishes, comes in either an oval or a circle, both adding visual delight and a sense of movement to any room. sabaitalia.it / 967arch.it 24

design Antonio Citterio - bebitalia.com 31st Floor, China Online Centre, 333 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong - T. (852) 2295 3612 [email protected]

DOSSIER / PRODUCTS Image by Tommaso Sartori B&B Italia × Piero Lissoni B&B Italia has introduced two new outdoor loungers to its Piero Lissoni-designed Borea outdoor collection. Lissoni described the sunbeds as ‘a bit like landed airplanes’, and the sunbed lounges as ‘mysterious objects, like two large eggs’. Both frames lie low to the ground and are made of curved aluminium tubes. The sunbed is a more traditional lounger, while the sunbed lounge is available in either a chaise longue or a sofa, both with a large section of reclinable back and an elongated form perfect for whiling away hours in the sun. bebitalia.com / lissoniandpartners.com Studio Florian and Christine Hong Kong-based multidisciplinary design studio Florian and Christine has created the Tactile Light, an exploration into how traditional craft and modern technology can be brought together in a contemporary light. Supported by Hong Kong’s Design Trust, the Tactile Light experiments with combining old and new craft processes — in this case programmable lights and 3D knitting with traditional hand embroidery. The light is another stunning example of Florian Wegenast and Christine Lew’s research into heritage crafts to create what they refer to as ‘hybrid craft’, a means of preserving heritage skills for the future. studioflorianandchristine.com 26

DOSSIER / PRODUCTS 0THNLI`+LWHZX\\HSL4HMÄUP Cassina Italian furniture manufacturer Cassina has launched the Hommage à Pierre Jeanneret collection in tribute to the Swiss architect. The re-editions include Jeanneret’s Capitol Complex Office Chair, with its V form and woven cane details, and the Capitol Complex Chair, similar to the Office version but without armrests. The iconic chairs are emblematic of Chandigarh’s history since they featured so widely in various administrative offices and institutions of Le Corbusier’s city. Both chairs are available in original teak, and the Cassina re-issue also offers natural and black-stained oak versions, with an optional cushion. Atelier A+ is the distributor for Cassina in Hong Kong. Find out more at instagram.com/cassina_hk cassina.com 27

01 DOSSIER / READ Barefoot Living 02 by Natalia Swarz Hôtel Weekend Faye Toogood: Drawing, Material, Sculpture, Landscape edited by Alistair O’Neill Phaidon The increasing pace of life seems to be leading Faye Toogood established her studio almost 15 to an uptick in the number of ‘slow’ books years ago and has become known worldwide that remind us of the value in reducing our for the diversity of her work, as well as for her pace and inspire us to do just that. Barefoot rigorous approach that combines the natural Living explores the picturesque destinations and manufactured and, as Central Saint where creative consultant and globetrotter Martins professor Alistair O’Neill points out in Natalia Swarz has felt the least hurried. From his introduction, recalls the processes of early the Mediterranean coast to various sunny 20th-century art and design workshops. isles, countryside locales and, surprisingly, cities, the book explores homes, guest houses The first monograph of Toogood’s work and boutique hotels belonging to people explores this process and her eclectic oeuvre. who embrace a quieter existence. Each A meditation on her life and some of the section includes a part on setting the table, a objects that inspire her gives way to the titular fundamental sensory experience of slowness chapters on drawings, material, sculpture and and locale, as well as sundry musings and landscape. This comparatively abstract material appropriately torpid photography. illuminates Toogood’s inspirations and the basis of her aesthetic, going from sketchbook to exploratory-yet-final object. Chapters follow on Toogood’s furniture and product collections, the unisex clothing line she designs with her sister Erica, and her 2020 installation at the National Gallery of Victoria, which brought together many of the threads of her work. The thorough volume includes illuminating essays in addition to imagery that showcases the designer’s idiosyncratic approach and its results. 28

03 DOSSIER / READ Green Obsession: Trees Towards 04 Cities, Humans Towards Forests by Stefano Boeri Architetti Haute Couture Architecture: The Actar Publishers Art of Living Without Walls by Anneke van Waesberghe ORO Editions An introduction beginning with dozens In her introduction, Anneke van Waesberghe of questions sets the tone for this dense muses on the decades-long journey that led exploration of biodiversity in cities and Stefano to her disappointment with consumerism and Boeri Architetti’s pioneering work in the area. modernist design, her global environmental The firm’s ‘obsessions’, according to Boeri, are advocacy and how these came together in creating buildings for trees, designing ‘Forest Escape Nomade, the luxury tent company she Cities’, creating global biodiversity corridors established in Bali. and linking the elements into a greater whole. Waesberghe’s work is a focus throughout the The book depicts SBA’s work through the book. A section on a day in her life leads on to voices of industry professionals, researchers, her thoughts on the global paradigm shift in thinkers and institutional representatives who thinking before more design-focused chapters have collaborated with the firm on projects, on her work with hotels such as Raffles research and events. Chapters cover the climate Grand Hotel d’Angkor and her architectural crisis, the role and place of humans, the urban inspirations. Part guide, part journal, part framework, the role of greenery and future showcase of wanderlust-inducing locales and possibilities, and include more than 50 essays accommodations, Haute Couture Architecture by Boeri and contributors. Data and figures evokes slowness and contemplation, helped are used liberally, with imagery including by the soft-toned imagery and tactile stock. exemplary projects, maps and conceptually Writings by Shigeru Ban on contrast and related art. SBA’s work can be seen around the harmony and William McDonough on world, and the book rewards anyone looking for biophilia, as well as leaders from other a deep dive into the firm’s approach. disciplines, round out the work. 29

DOSSIER / READ 05 06 KHA / Kerry Hill Architects: Outdoor Domesticity: On the Relationships Works and Projects between Trees, Architecture, and Inhabitants Kerry Hill Architects, by Ricardo Devesa introduction by Geoffrey London Actar Publishers Thames & Hudson Kerry Hill was rightly celebrated for his fresh ‘There have been relationships of contiguity approach to tropical modern architecture. between houses and trees since ancient Fortunately, the firm that carries his name times,’ writes architect, professor and editor continues to honour this legacy, and this Ricardo Devesa in his introduction to Outdoor publication presents a catalogue of some of the Domesticity. At the end of the 19th century, he firm’s marker projects. Almost 50 completed continues, these connections became explicit. works are featured, starting in 1989, including But the principles on which they were based Hill’s own property in Sri Lanka and ranging need updating, and this is the focus of the work. from single-family and multi-residential homes to public and cultural spaces and, of course, the The first part of the book comprises five firm’s spectacular hotel properties. case studies of modern houses that evinced explicit relationships with existing trees: La The recent or current projects include the newly Casa by Rudofsky, Cottage Caesar by Breuer, completed Amans in Japan and Shanghai, and a Ville La Roche by Le Corbusier and Pierre range of new commissions such as wineries and Jeanneret, Villa Pepa by Navarro Baldeweg a remarkable design for a desert resort in Saudi and Hexenhaus by Alison and Peter Smithson, Arabia. All are illustrated thoroughly with all designed between 1923 and 2002. Each photography and drawings (the book contains includes a textual examination, project imagery more than 950 illustrations) and accompanying and often more abstract imagery drawn text, showcasing an irresistible embrace of from arcane sources and relating to cognate modernity in rare concert with approachability. ancient ideas. The book then contributes Geoffrey London, distinguished architect and three theoretical concerns in modern Western emeritus professor at the University of Western housing that synthesise time, space and the very Australia Design School in Hill’s native Perth, idea of the house. Thoroughly researched, with provides an extensive introductory essay comprehensive endnotes and a bibliography covering the firm’s history and approach. of books and magazines for each of the five projects, the volume is a fascinating and thought-provoking read. 30

07 DOSSIER / READ Scorcher 08 by Tim Ross Modernister Books The Project of Independence: Architectures of Decolonization in South Asia, 1947–1985 Thames & Hudson Scorcher is an ode, almost like a rock Post-colonial nation building found its album released just in time for summer; a most visible form in architecture, and many choreographed series of short pieces, here exemplars of the zeitgeist were (and still are) joyous, there introspective, that pay tribute to to be found across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh the hot summers of the sun-drenched land that and Sri Lanka. The Project of Independence is the is Australia. accompanying work to a major exhibition at MoMA, and is the first scholarly transnational The stories are replete with references to the survey to chart the region’s post-independence physical elements of summers in the suburbs architecture as a varied yet contingent body of and at the beach — the familiar brands, places, work, rather than addressing specific aspects events and sensory experiences that will make of South Asian architecture, or portraying a knowing moment for those who grew up in individual architects in a monographic manner. similar times and places — and a spectrum of the feelings evoked, from the carefree to The first part comprises two extended essays occasionally the more existential. Ross is at his covering the politics of the concrete industry best when observing the built environment and the representation of sovereignty in and his characters’ relationships with it, but university architecture. Following this is the also shows a deft touch for children’s voices, bulk of the work, a section with essays devoted which come through like the memories are to regional topics from infrastructure to cities, fresh and fond. If you’re in warmer climes, or housing, education and more. The book is just dreaming of them, Scorcher is as good a way closed with selection of 17 transformative as any to get lost in the endless warmth of the projects, including houses, cultural and public summers of your mind. spaces, and entire cities such as Islamabad. Some truly evocative projects and fascinating history are contained herein, brought to life by a raft of esteemed contributors and the photography of Randhir Singh. 31

PARTNER CONTENT / LOUIS POULSEN i Learn more louispoulsen.com The Return W hen Danish architect Vilhelm Lauritzen of an Icon designed Radiohuset in the 1940s —  the functionalist building that housed the Danish architect Vilhelm Lauritzen’s Studio headquarters of national Danish broadcaster DR lamp has been refreshed for contemporary in Copenhagen until 2006 —  he didn’t know living, with Louis Poulsen introducing an that the fixtures he created for the space would updated version of the original sconce and become icons themselves. Now, eight decades a modern reinterpretation of the iconic later, Danish lighting manufacturer Louis ZPSOV\\L[[LMVY[OL[HISLVYÅVVY Poulsen has revisited Lauritzen’s archive and introduced updated versions of his original studio wall lamp, paying homage to the late architect and to the spirit of Danish functionalism.  Originally designed to be placed on the wall outside the broadcaster’s recording studio to indicate, with a green or red light, whether the studio was recording, the opaline glass lamp was also used throughout the Radiohuset. It was designed around the same period as Lauritzen’s famous VL38 Table lamp, VL Ring Crown and Radiohus pendant. After reintroducing some of these classics, including the pendant and the table lamp in 2016, and the VL ring Crown in 2019, Louis Poulsen has relaunched the VL Studio Wall lamp,modified for modern life but always staying true to Lauritzen’s original design. Thanks to three layers of mouth-blown opal glass, the new VL Studio Wall lamp emits glare-free, diffused light. The wall box has been adapted to allow the fixture to be mounted directly onto a wall; the lamp head can be turned to a 90-degree angle on either side; and a new G9 socket allows for uniform illumination. In addition to the lamp’s original wall-mounted version, Louis Poulsen also launched a new table and floor interpretation of the piece: the VL Studio Floor or Table lamp. The adapted light comes in the same size as the wall iteration and in two larger sizes, which are equipped with dimmers to allow for a variety of uses and effects. The VL Studio Wall and Table or Floor lamps all come in the original brushed brass, with the promise of developing a distinct patina over time, or in a matt black finish for a more graphic expression. The two iterations of Lauritzen’s classic can be styled on their own for a subtle illumination or grouped for a bolder statement. 32

PARTNER CONTENT / LOUIS POULSEN 33

DOSSIER / A DAY IN THE LIFE Cool & Collected Text MORNING Duncan Forgan Charif Lona begins each day bright When he finishes his run, Lona takes Images and early at five-thirty with a run advantage of the pre-work downtime Tom Hoops along the Saen Saep canal from his back at his apartment by playing with home in Bangkok’s hip Thonglor his two cats. ‘It’s important to let go of neighbourhood. ‘Bangkok is inspiring, stress and start each day on a positive but also exhausting.There’s not a lot of note,’he says.‘It’s a coping mechanism peace to be found in this city,’ he says. that helps me maximise my creativity.’ ‘I’ve always been a very introverted person, and I grew up in a quiet, rural MID-MORNING environment in Yala in the south.’ The exercise helps the founder and Workdays are busy for Lona and his design director of multidisciplinary team. Accordingly, the Studio AOK firm Studio Act of Kindness centre headquarters, a chic three-storey himself for the day ahead. ‘Each day converted shophouse with interiors, I need to communicate with many textile prints and furniture all people about many different things. designed in-house, is a hive of activity. Running in the early morning gives me the chance to revel in my little The practice is busy working on a bubble,’ he says. range of commissions ranging from 34

DOSSIER / A DAY IN THE LIFE Maximising creativity and maintaining a sense of calm in the Thai capital is no easy feat — we spend a day with Studio Act of Kindness founder Charif Lona to find out how he does it. LUNCH EVENING private villas for A-list Thai clients Lunch is the most important meal of At the end of the workday, Lona to restaurant interiors, furniture the day for Lona. The opportunity to sometimes hangs out with his team collections and — a new passion unwind with his team either at the — ‘We have regular badminton nights for Lona — a line of clothing called office or a local restaurant is a time to help us bond,’ he says — and most One’s Essentials, which he launched he finds both creative and cathartic. nights he heads back to his apartment, in collaboration with artist Sarunrat ‘We’re close in this office. Like a which he shares with his brother. Pachiracharoen, a long-time friend. family,’ he says. ‘At lunch, we tell jokes, chat and swap recommendations He goes to bed tired but satisfied. ‘It’s ‘I’ve always been creatively restless,’ for music, films and art.’ They’ll true that we’ve got a lot on, and our Lona says with a laugh. ‘I’m interested sometimes discuss current projects, clients can be demanding,’he says,‘but in architecture, design, art, fashion, but he says, ‘All of us go back to what I can say that every project I do still music, politics, poetry and history. we’re working on feeling energised excites me, and our design approach From the early days, I didn’t want to because of what we’ve been talking seems to excite our clients. I have pigeonhole myself.’ So, while most about.’ no airs and graces, and I always stay of Studio AOK’s work is interior and very humble. We have one hundred spatial design, the team’s portfolio per cent freedom on every project, so spans brand consultancy, industrial we’re clearly doing something right.’ design, graphic design and even textile design. 35

DOSSIER / MUSEUM, SEOUL Writing History Text Images Jeyup S Kwaak Yong Joon Choi S eoul’s National Hangeul Museum, an among commoners and accurately reflect spoken institution dedicated to Korea’s unique Korean; however, the spelling, grammar and writing system and its complex history, has characters of Hangeul have since undergone reopened after a thorough reimagining of its multiple rounds of revisions, making centuries- structure and philosophy. old text unintelligible to most Koreans today. In the first renovation since the museum’s 2014 A source of national pride and identity, Hangeul opening, designer Teo Yang says he adopted a was a remarkable feat in a region that without less-is-more approach to the curation of its exception used versions of logographic Chinese permanent collection and the design of its characters for written communication. Its display. He removed several artefacts to create development was so controversial that for a leaner, more immersive experience. He had centuries the elite shunned the script and the piles of books moved to the archives, but not learned men continued to study and record before they served as inspiration for the wooden history using Chinese characters. But Hangeul louvres  on the ceilings and walls. Other nods allowed expression among the less educated, include referencing the script’s individual letters including women for whom formal education in the triangles, rectangles and circles that appear was forbidden. Among the material displayed in in the signage, benches and other elements. the collection is the little-known handwriting of the women in the royal court, from queens to Yang also added video and other interactive media maids, now shown on an interactive screen. to ensure that depictions of the five centuries of Hangeul history feel less heavy or scholarly. During the renovation period in 2021, a clay ‘Before the renovation, there were so many pot filled with moveable type dating back to the books. It was a challenge to build an experience 15th century was discovered in central Seoul. around a heritage that is a set of characters. According to researchers, the bronze cast blocks, People’s level of interest and concentration can unearthed from a layer of mud, had likely lain dwindle fast as they walk through an exhibition hidden there for approximately four centuries. of letters, as opposed to an exhibition of other The more than 1,600 specimens make up the kinds of treasures,’ Yang explains. ‘I hope visitors largest collection of Korean-made moveable now get a sense of comfort.’ type from that era, which is also around the time Gutenberg’s first printing press was The script was originally created in 1443 by manufactured. ‘The timing couldn’t have been King Sejong the Great to improve literacy better,’ says Yang. 36

DOSSIER / MUSEUM, SEOUL For the renovation of Seoul’s National Hangeul Museum, P[ZÄYZ[ZPUJL[OLI\\PSKPUN»Z inauguration in 2014, designer Teo Yang streamlined and modernised the lobby and display of the permanent collection, creating an immersive experience inspired by the relics in the museum 37

Yang drew inspiration from the museum’s book collection for the wooden louvres on the ceilings and walls, and incorporated references to the script’s letters in the triangles, rectangles and circles that appear in the signage, benches and other design elements 38



DOSSIER / STUDIO CULTURE Inside Yellow Nose Studio Taiwanese duo Hsin-Ying Ho and Kai-Ming Tung’s adopted home of Berlin is proving fertile ground for their hands-on approach to design Designers Hsin-Ying Ho (left) and Kai-Ming Tung met while studying architecture in their native Taiwan, and they established Yellow Nose Studio in Berlin in 2017. Located in an industrial building in the Wedding KPZ[YPJ[[OLPYIYPNO[Z[\\KPVPZÄSSLK^P[OYH^ handmade elements and prototypes that trace their initial ideas for collections 40

DOSSIER / STUDIO CULTURE Text Karine Monié Images Barbara Cilliers I n their adopted home city of Berlin, Hsin- Ying Ho and Kai-Ming Tung have found the perfect place to combine their love for creativity and desire for a slow-paced approach. Partners in work and life who have just had their first child, they met while studying architecture in their native Taiwan. Their master’s degrees, in scenography for Ho and product design for Tung, led them to the German capital, where they established Yellow Nose Studio in 2017. ‘Berlin is the kind of place that allows us to have a break from busy city life,’ Ho says. ‘We’re inspired by daily life just walking from home to the studio, where we see things like random abandoned furniture pieces on the street or coloured patterns on the buildings.’ Ho and Tung found their ideal studio space on the third floor of an industrial building dating to 1915 in Berlin’s Wedding district. Spread over 70 square metres, the bright, minimal studio is one big room with a pair of timber workbenches and a small kitchen in the corner. Raw, handmade elements figure throughout. A long wall of shelves in a dark, earthy hue — designed by Ho and Tung — faces windows through which sunlight streams in. ‘Light is one of the most important elements for us when we design objects,’ Tung says. 41

DOSSIER / STUDIO CULTURE Embodying Ho and Tung’s passion for their craft and their slow approach, Yellow Nose Studio is a space where the designers SL[[OLPYJYLH[P]P[`ÅV^^VYRPUN predominantly with materials like clay and wood to create handmade pieces 42

DOSSIER / STUDIO CULTURE Family dog Youpi keeps watch in the studio, especially since the HYYP]HSVM[OLJV\\WSL»ZÄYZ[IHI` earlier this year. The studio hums along gently with the sounds of family and creative life In this space, Ho and Tung focus on the character and rawness of their chosen materials to create handmade pieces, working at their own pace and with anything from classical to pop providing an ambience to fit their mood. They feel at home in their space, which they’ve furnished largely with earlier experiments. ‘Most of the furniture pieces are prototypes of our own,’ says Ho. ‘They’re not perfect but they reflect our initial ideas for collections, which is a treasure for us.’ Another constant source of inspiration is their collection of books on artists and designers they love. Some of their favourite volumes are Enzo Mari’s Autoprogettazione?, Square, Circle, Triangle by Bruno Munari, Das Vorgefundene erfinden by Anna Viebrock and Peter Zumthor’s Buildings and Projects, 1985-2013, among others. Ho and Tung are mindful of taking time to pause during the day, especially to enjoy food. ‘As Taiwanese people, culinary culture is very important to us,’ Tung says. ‘So we treasure our time eating together.’ With no specific schedule, the designers let their ideas flow before giving them form with materials like raw clay and wood. ‘These are the materials we’ve become most familiar with since studying architecture in Taiwan,’ Ho explains. The material itself is what usually defines the colour of their creations, all of which are designed with consideration for context — principles related to their architectural background. ‘We want to show how different cultures and materials influence our work and how objects and space can integrate with each other,’ says Tung. After shaping their workspace, the couple dreams of designing their own home and every detail that comes with it. But for now they’re planning their next collection and developing collaborations with other brands, as well as planning workshops in their studio. ‘We’d love to share how we think and work,’ he says. 43

DOSSIER / OFFICE, HO CHI MINH CITY Inside Out H o Chi Minh-based design firm MIA — the Nguyễn says that when they first presented Text name stands for master planning, interior the indoor-outdoor office idea, the client ‘fell Simon and architecture — was founded in 2003 by in love with it straight away’. However, MIA Ostheimer principal architect Nguyễn Hoàng Mạnh. From faced challenges in its construction. ‘During the Images small beginnings, the firm has grown into a design process, the main challenge was how we Hiroyuki Oki multidisciplinary team of more than 50 staff. could provide the natural environment requested Describing what the Vietnamese architecture within the small concrete office space,’ Nguyễn 0U[OPZVMÄJLWYVQLJ[ scene looked like almost two decades ago when explains. This led the MIA team to research KLZPNUÄYT40( he and two partners founded the company, he new knowledge and technology for the idea, was driven by the says, ‘In 2003, architecture companies didn’t providing an opportunity for them to learn and concept of ‘inside- concentrate on enhancing a space or creating gain experience for future projects. However, out and outside-in’, new perspectives in design — they just did there were still parts of the original design that blurring the boundary what they were told. People tended to build they couldn’t implement. ‘We aren’t completely between natural houses based on their own view without seeking satisfied with the welcome area,’ Nguyễn admits. and man-made and suggestions or input from architects. MIA was ‘The final version isn’t the same as the original creating a striking a reaction to this situation, and an attempt to design, which has glass pots with tree branches Q\\_[HWVZP[PVUIL[^LLU change this practice.’ grown hydroponically to make for a truly grand [OLNYLLUVMÄJLHUK garden view when you step off the elevator. But the concrete skyline In an increasingly competitive landscape,MIA aims unfortunately, our local manufacturers don’t beyond to stand apart by creating connections with nature have this technology.’ and erasing the boundaries between interiors and exteriors. The firm’s most recent project, Mr There’s an ongoing global trend of adding Green’s Office — the name selected to preserve outdoor gardens or green podiums to new the privacy of the client — is the perfect example buildings, but does Nguyễn see this trend of this principle. ‘From conception to completion, emerging in Ho Chi Minh? ‘Up until today this project has been defined by the ideas of in Vietnam, using plants and trees in design “inside-out and outside-in”, while still hewing and architecture has been done for aesthetics. to the basic design principles of architecture We don’t really consider the natural living and beauty,’ Nguyễn explains. ‘Our client works environment or the long-lasting sustainable in the financial sector, and in contrast with his value. That said, Vietnam is on the path to high-pressure job, he wanted a comfortable yet applying sustainability in different fields. lively working environment — a place where he Products that are sustainable in both the can come up with more creative ideas. It’s been fashion and architecture fields are getting more a pleasure to meet a person that has the same attention now.’ It’s to be hoped that projects thinking as us in terms of the design.’ like this office can point the way forward. 44



In terms of applying sustainability PUKPMMLYLU[ÄLSKZ40(SLHKZ[OL way in the design and architecture sector with contemporary and creative spaces that aim to reconnect built places with the natural environment 46

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