Metropolis Magazine - September 2017

In this issue

Special Textiles Issue. The Chicago Architecture Biennial. Community Colleges. Sina Pearson and Momentum Group.

Mood Light

A quick Google search on Himalayan salt lamps dredges up link after link touting the health benefits of the pink mineral. While some claims are outlandish, like neutralizing electromagnetic radiation from cell phones, others, like mood enhancement, seem a bit more plausible—especially when the light looks as good as Brave Matter’s Archaic Modern pendant. “As a designer, I believe that objects we surround ourselves with have the power to influence the way we feel,” says Christina Zamora, cofounder of the Oakland, California–based design studio. The terraced clay luminaire, topped by a hefty brass disk and rounded salt bead, adds warmth to any space. “I could definitely see them in residential, retail, and hospitality environments,” says the industrial designer, who has also had interest from people designing for the wellness field because of the mineral’s purported effect on well-being. The Archaic Modern light is handcrafted and available in six shades ranging from a deep black Mica Ore to a muted Terra Pink.

2 mins

The Big Pattern

Schumacher finds fresh purpose in new applications for Frank Lloyd Wright’s textiles and wall-coverings.

1 min

Motley Harmony

The newly reopened Musée d’arts de Nantes, one of France’s great art institutions, unites four centuries of architectural styles.

2 mins

Scenographic

The recent popularity of architectural collage has led to a lot of cloning and some groaning. But collage is more than an aesthetic—it helps reconceive space in new, often scenographic ways. 

6 mins

Piling It Up?

The blob ostensibly obliterated the culture of tectonics within architecture, but it was a short-lived fad. Interest has shifted again toward a loosely “aformal” approach —the pile. What are the consequences of architects

6 mins

Character

Architecture can be funny, eliciting a laugh or a smirk. It can have a backstory. It can be a in an urban drama.But how far do you push it?

4 mins

Community Colleges Step It Up

With major architecture firms getting involved, these formerly neglected institutions are having a design renaissance— and showing us how design could transform the American education system.

8 mins

Sina Pearson's Next Act

After running her own textile company for 25 years, the designer is now bringing her brand and inimitable creative process to Momentum Group.

5 mins

Back To Basics

At this year’s NeoCon, textile companies looked forward by returning to the roots of making textiles. Traditional and modern weaving techniques, the return of pure color, and solid basics (with a twist) were all jumping-off points for collections tailored to the needs of today’s contract settings. “Resimercial”—the crossover influence of the residential look and feel on commercial interiors—continued in full force. As we celebrate New York Textile Month, the citywide festival designed to highlight textile creativity and promote textile awareness, we showcase a range of offerings from our industry favorites.

2 mins

Designing Connections

The latest iteration of BIO, Ljubljana’s design biennale, aims at the full socialization of design and miraculously succeeds.

5 mins

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Metropolis Magazine Description:

It’s now easier than ever to enjoy monthly groundbreaking design journalism on your mobile devices. Each issue of Metropolis delivers architecture and design news, topics, and trends FIRST—long before they become mainstream. Professionals in all areas of design, architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, technology, industrial design, and graphic design, rely on Metropolis magazine each month for dynamic journalism that spans the gamut of their profession, and shapes the future of design.