Lifetecture

Every year the design world converges at the Merchandise Mart, a building which is so large it has its own zip code. Architects, design professionals, dealers, salesmen, students and pretenders all converge during this three-day festival of glitz where products are unveiled, seminars are held and trends are identified. I met Bo there today on the afternoon of the last day to have a look around.

This year it was all about felt. Every showroom had some lying around, whether on chairs, couches, rugs or just laser-cut. The trend for all things digital has hit the contract interiors profession and we saw columns surrounded by CNC-milled gypsum, undulating waves in the ceiling and intricately cut plastics and surfaces pervaded most spaces. Nowadays, everyone talks about being “green,” but it’s still all about the product and finding ways to selling more of it. I find it hard to reconcile companies who demolish and re-do whole showrooms in order to gain more LEED points with their self-professed ideas of being good stewards. On the whole I found the conference more subdued than usual. I’m not sure if it was our late arrival, the numbness that comes with walking around in heels on hard surfaces, or the looming recession, but there was a hollow feeling in the air today.

Most disappointing was the winner of the Best of Neocon: Herman Miller have produced a furniture storage system which upon first glance appears to be made from laminated plywood with a readymade and slightly rough look; however up close, the edging detail is actually a laminate surface designed to look like cut ply. This act of fakery had a lack of integrity that was to me as hollow as the conference this year. I guess I’m becoming cynical in my old age. It didn’t help that the showrooms were less generous with free goodies than usual…

There were glimmers of brightness amongst the blur: Left: Laser punched pointillist world in a Corian partition in the Steelcase showroom. Right: Etched steel panelled wall with LEDs embedded behind at Bernhardt.