New Alchemies

Alchimia's far-reaching influence reflected in today's neo-coherent designs and metastable objects

by Stefano Caggiano We currently live in a world surrounded by varied design, and people commonly appreciate peculiar features that work together as opposing aesthetics. But in the past, when coherence and rationality were keys to any solid example of modern design, contradictory stimuli and experimental concepts were considered unacceptable. That is, until the ’70s when a group of visionary Italians sought to inject irrational …

Vanity Faith: Preachin’ Ain’t Easy

Design collective Greece Is For Lovers turns sacred symbols into satirical furnishings

by Ikechukwu Onyewuenyi The move to marry modernity with sacred symbols is gaining momentum in both religious and design circles. This dmarche has been a welcomed challenge for design collective Greece Is For Lovers (GIFL), as it calls for interpreting how religious manifestations can exist within popular culture without outright subversion. This conflict between subject matter and context is a prevalent theme in GIFL’s past …

Bestie

Scott and Scott Architects' minimalist interior shines in Vancouver's small sausage and beer parlor

Anyone with an eye for minimalist design will tell you, less is more. But do Dieter Rams’ sagely timeless words apply to restaurant design? Vancouver-based Scott and Scott Architects believe so. And with a budget of just over $15,000 and 750 square feet to work with, the duo designed and built Bestie, a newly opened sausage and beer parlor in the heart of Vancouver’s Chinatown …