A Look Back at 90 Years of Timeless Design

Modern projects from as early as the 1930’s are still relevant today, proving that form, function, and the pursuit of innovation can endure for nearly a century—just like Interior Design.

City of Tresigallo, Italy, 1939

Masterminded by Tresigallo native Edmondo Rossoni, then minister of agriculture and forestry, the city’s “refounding” began around 1930, when Rossoni ordered a road connecting it to Ferrara be built, to improve trade, and enlisted young professionals—engineer Carlo Frighi, sculptor Enzo Nenci, and landscape architect Pietro Porcinai, among others—to design a rationalist urban plan, with pastel-colored buildings and clean, essential lines, resulting in a tenfold increase in population then and a must-see destination for architects of today.

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La Fondation Maeght, Saint-Paul de Vence, France, 1964, Sert, Jackson and Associate

Led by architect Josep Lluís Sert, a former Harvard GSD dean (1953– 1969) and friend of fellow Spaniard Joan Miró, the institution founded by art-dealer couple Aimé and Marguerite Maeght is France’s first devoted to art, the in situ modern works by the likes of Miró, Alexander Calder, Marc Chagall, and Diego Giacometti, as well as the temporary exhibitions it currently hosts, in harmony with the natural surroundings and the building’s architecture, done in a welcoming Mediterranean village style of white poured-concrete impluviums, earthy brick, and myriad patios.

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Spiegel Gruppe, Hamburg, Germany, 1969, by Verner Panton

The publishing company perhaps most known for its news outlet Der Spiegel enlisted the Danish architect, who cut his teeth at Arne Jacobsen’s studio, for its then new headquarters, his purview encompassing the lobby, lounges, and conference rooms, palette and furniture selection, including the Harry Bertoia chairs in the canteen (which graced the cover of our 75th anniversary issue), and the design of all textiles and lighting; today, the Spiegel sconce has been reissued by Verpan and the canteen is under heritage protection.

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Cartiera Burgo, Turin, Italy, 1981, by Oscar Niemeyer

The headquarters of the paper-manufacturing company now called Burgo Group was designed by the venerable Brazilian architect during his exile years, about a decade after he’d completed the company’s editorial offices in Milan, and one of only two buildings he built in Turin, appointing this one with furniture by Eero Saarinen and him and his daughter Anna Maria; the building stands today unoccupied but there have been recent proposals for its adaptive reuse.

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Casa Orgánica, Mexico City, 1985, by Arquitectura Orgánica

Founder Javier Senosian, now 73, is an early practitioner of organic architecture, this house reflective of the movement, its ferro-cement, or reinforced cast concrete, formwork sprayed with polyurethane and then partially covered with soil for grass to grow directly on the facade, and interior conceived to evoke a mother’s embrace or the sensation of entering the earth, the latter emphasized by an all-over sand-colored palette; first designed with a single bedroom, when the house was expanded, workers dubbed it “the shark” for its appearance and a fin was added.

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Flos Honors Innovations of the Past and Looks Toward the Future in Celebrating 60th Anniversary

In its 60-year history, Flos has served as an ideas lab for some of the world’s brightest designers, both past and present: Michael Anastassiades, Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Konstantin Grcic, Afra and Tobia Scarpa, Philippe Starck. The Castiglioni brothers gave the brand an early hit: Arco, which, designed in 1962, is also celebrating its 60th anniversary and has been in continuous production ever since. Inspired by streetlights, they conceived the floor lamp as an overhead one that didn’t require drilling into the ceiling, its spun aluminum reflector extending almost 7 feet from a Carrara marble base, connected by a curved stainless-steel stem high enough to walk under. Their Taccia table lamp from the same year is similarly enduring. The only change to both is the addition of an LED option.

A Look Back at Gio Ponti’s Superleggera Chair

Gio Ponti regarded his Superleggera for Cassina as one of his three major masterpieces. (The other two are his Pirelli Tower in Milan and Taranto’s Concattedrale Gran Madre di Dio.) Named after the Italian term for super-lightweight (clocking in at just 3.7 pounds), the ash and rattan chair represented an exciting take on the Ligurian region’s traditional chiavarina. Ponti’s first iteration, the Leggera of 1951, distilled into an even more elemental form in 1957 with the lithe Superleggera, which achieves its stability from struts slotted together. To test the design, it was thrown from the fourth floor of an apartment building; the chair bounced on the street but did not break. Ponti was satisfied and the rest, as they say, is history: Superleggera has been produced continually ever since.

B&B Italia Launches 50th Anniversary Edition of Mario Bellini’s 1972 Sofa, Le Bambole

It was 1972 when B&B Italia introduced Mario Bellini’s Le Bambole, which was revolutionary then for its lack of an obvious support structure and casual informality (as witnessed in this advertising campaign from that year). A 2007 reissue of the sofa had thinner proportions. But, back by popular demand, the 50th anniversary edition, launching this month, returns the seating to its plumper profile—and is environmentally sensitive to boot. A new hollow rotational-molded recycled polyethylene structure requires less foam to achieve its plushness and is assembled with zero adhesive. The soft, almost fleecy acrylic-blend upholstery, a French sablé called Sila, is also new, available in eight calming colors including Bluette. The entirety can be disassembled and recycled. The series includes the Bambola armchair, the Bibambola and Granbambola two- and three-seater sofas, and the Bamboletto double bed.

Go Off-Grid With Airstream Solar-Powered Electric Travel Trailer

The riveted aluminum Airstream, originally designed in the 1930’s by Hawley Bowlus, creator of Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, was famously used by NASA to house Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Now it’s is charging into the next frontier: a solar-powered electric travel trailer.

It’s eStream concept is tricked out with aerodynamic improvements and a high-voltage chassis featuring battery-powered electric drivetrain and control systems. Remote-controlled mobility features will allow owners to operate and park Silver Bullets from their Smart phone. But most importantly, a roof covered in solar panels and a bank of high-voltage lithium batteries provide users with enough power to go off-grid with many of the comforts of home for up to two weeks.

“Airstreams have achieved iconic status because they’re the ultimate expression of form follows function,” Airstream CEO Bob Wheeler explains. “Luckily, the demands of our EV-towed future align perfectly with what we’re best at: lightweight and aerodynamic travel trailers.”

Marc Thorpe Design Teams Up With Affordable Housing NGO Échale International and Stage Six to Build Houses in Uganda

According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, the African nation has a deficit of over two million dwellings. To help, Marc Thorpe Design has teamed up with affordable housing NGO Échale International and franchise expert Stage Six to design and build 10 houses just outside of Kampala, the capital. The homes will be constructed from Echale’s re­cyclable EcoBlock, a compressed earth brick made of local soil bound with a mixture of cement, lime, sand, and water.

“We believe in an architecture of responsibility,” Marc Thorpe says. Using earth directly from the site reduces imported materials, thereby drastically reducing the build’s carbon footprint. In addition, each house will harvest solar power and rainwater, driving self-sufficiency.

This Oaxacan Wellness Retreat Designed by Taller de Arquitectura X Preserves the Local Landscape

Hotel Terrestre not only restores visitors but also has a minimal carbon footprint. The Oaxacan wellness retreat is entirely solar-powered and made from and by local materials and artisans—a trend in vacation properties throughout Mexico, this one from Grupo Habita and designed by Taller de Arquitectura X, based in Mexico City. “We didn’t want to disturb the landscape,” TAX founder and architect Alberto Kalach says of the 10-building complex, which features 14 suites and a hammam.

Kalach and designers Diana Backal and Fernanda Romandia, who oversaw interiors, conceived savvy angles and openings that tease in cross breezes and avoid direct sun. Built from brick and concrete with a brutalist sparsity, the project blends into the surrounding native flora and fauna. Roof-mounted solar panels are just visible from above, while batteries disappear within concrete columns. “Only the office has air-conditioning,” Backal comments.

The two-story suites, each with a private pool, are separated by stepped walls that nod to ancient Mesoamerican architecture. Inside, furnishings, either custom or by Mexican architect Oscar Hagerman, are crafted from such natural materials as jute and tzalam, a native hardwood. Bedrooms, on the lower level to stay cool, “have a little bit of shade all the time,” Backal says. The hammam is spread across five chimneylike structures containing shower, steam, and cold-plunge chambers. To cross between them, guests enter a plant labyrinth, which “allows them to get a little lost,” Backal notes. Escapism in its truest—and most environmentally responsible—form.

Milestones – 50 Years

Main Event 2022 is the April 30 gala celebrating 50 years of the boundary-pushing creativity of SCI-Arc, the private Los Angeles university focused on architecture—and the intersection of innovation and humanity, which this anniversary branding image illustrates via a playful reference to the creation of Adam—that counts Shigeru Ban and Barbara Bestor among its notable alumni.

Air France established Meridien Hotels in 1972, the first in Paris; today, the Marriott International–owned brand is called Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts, has grown to over 100 properties worldwide, including the new Le Meridien Maldives Resort & Spa (top) and the historic Le Méridien Barcelona in Spain (bottom), and, for its 50th anniversary year, looks forward to opening Le Royal Méridien Doha and Le Méridien Hualien Resort.

Also created in 1972, by French journalist Franklin Loufrani for the newspaper France Soir, the Smiley trademark has become one of the most recognizable icons in graphic design, not to mention on Smart phones in the form of emojis, thanks to Loufrani’s son Nicolas, who also launched the nonprofit Smiley Movement in 2017.

45 Years

“Portrait of Nation II: Beyond Narratives” celebrates five decades of visual arts in the United Arab Emirates, a highlight being The Mastaba, a project for Abu Dhabi, the only permanent work by Christo and Jeanne-Claude that consists of 410,000 multicolored steel barrels stacked into a 492-foot-high mosaic echoing Islamic architecture, an idea first conceived by the couple in 1977 and now being carried out, posthumously, in the Liwa desert by Christo’s nephew Vladimir Yavachev and the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation.

Jonathan Haddad Renovates an Equestrian Estate in Retie, Belgium

Jonathan Haddad, the cofounder and design director of creative studio Sceners, has an eclectic resume. Born in Paris and raised in Tel Aviv, Israel, he has studied jazz, launched a clothing label, restored vintage furniture, and created sculptures out of found objects. But Haddad had no official training in interior design when a friend, Kai Zeevi, asked if he’d be interested in renovating a family property near Antwerp, Belgium. Ever open to new experiences, Haddad admitted he lacked professional credentials but was confident he could pull it off. He had, after all, designed fashion shows and fixed up an old building for a pop-up gallery, and he knew how to make a 3-D model. Zeevi’s family took a chance and offered Sceners the job.

It was a remarkable first commission. The multigenerational clan breeds horses and had recently bought a 40-acre equestrian facility, located in the town of Retie, with poorly maintained stables and living quarters. Zeevi, a champion show jumper, regularly trains there, and his family hoped to restore it and create comfortable accommodations for themselves. “The clients were looking for a chaletlike feel, a place where they could do these professional activities, but still feel at home and experience the daily stable life,” Haddad says. He got a taste of it himself: The job required him to stay on-site for a year to manage the project, since the Zeevis live in Israel. It may be one reason why he got hired: “They knew I was young and that it would be an amazing opportunity for me,” Haddad wagers. “I could be this guy on-site doing everything.”

They also liked Haddad’s aesthetic, which is informed by his Moroccan mother, Tunisian father, and their collection of tribal art and mid-century furniture. “We had a maximalist home that combined Senufo masks, Naga chairs, and a Serpentine sofa by Vladimir Kagan,” he explains. “Having pieces from different periods and places creates a kind of harmony.” His style resonated with Zeevi’s family, who lived in Africa for a decade and appreciates its indigenous cultures. “We knew Jonathan’s vision and trusted his point of view,” Zeevi says. “We mostly gave him a free hand.” Haddad’s challenge was to pair sophisticated interiors with a working stable.

He began by researching similar complexes nearby but found most too conservative for his taste. But Cuadra San Cristóbal, a fabled equestrian estate in Mexico City that Luis Barragán completed in 1968, showed what a more abstract approach could look like. “Barragán got me thinking outside the box,” Haddad notes. While he wasn’t going to create anything so colorful or modern, Barragán’s stables made him consider how to heighten the connection with nature, such as landscaping the property and incorporating organic elements in the interiors.

Surrounded by forest, the 43,000-square-foot compound comprises a mid 20th–century brick stable and a 2012 building by Architectenbureau Kristel Caes that incorporates an indoor training arena and a two-story private residence. Haddad started with improvements like reinforcing and sanding the terra-cotta bricks, painting the roof, and installing window shutters and new stalls in the stable. Inside, he opened up the relationship between the horse facilities and living areas, replacing walls with windows; a dining room, for example, now looks directly into the arena. “I created transparency so the sport didn’t feel like a professional activity, but something desirable that anyone could do,” Haddad says. (He himself learned how to ride during his stay.)

Haddad mined the stable for raw materials, bringing historic elements into the living quarters of the newer building. He turned a grinder once used for milling horse food into the base of a low table. Aluminum from a stable door became the legs of a coffee table. Another door, broken and whitewashed, hangs as abstract artwork in the living room. Other custom pieces are made with wood from the surroundings, such as a chandelier composed of branches that Haddad cut down, sanded, and fashioned into a sculptural pendant fixture. His firm Sceners not only designs these pieces but also fabricates them, and operates as a vintage furniture dealer, too.

While the home relates to its rural context, it’s no rustic retreat. Haddad scoured secondhand stores and flea markets in the region to source an array of mid-century designer furnishings. In the upstairs sitting room, Marcel Breuer chairs face a chaise by Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand. An Ingo Maurer chandelier meets Shin and Tomoko Azumi sofas and Charles and Ray Eames chairs in the living room. Antique Asian stools, Naga chairs, and Senufo masks and sculptures populate other rooms throughout.

For Zeevi, the result creates a Zenlike feeling well suited to the quiet setting. “It calms me down,” he says, “and is unique and feels authentic. We took a bit of a risk on Jonathan at the beginning, but he did an unbelievable job.” The family has even signed up Sceners to design an extension to the stable with four more bedrooms. It seems safe to bet that Haddad will have no shortage of ideas.

Architectenbureau Kristel Caes: architect of record

Peter Structures BV: general contractor

Magazyn: concrete pedestals (entry, foyer)

101 Copenhagen: concrete chair (foyer), vases (bedroom, dining room, sitting room), concrete side table (sitting room)

Through Pagoda: black stools (foyer, dining room), cabinet (bedroom), shelf unit (stable)

Hitch Mylius: sofas (living room)

Ingo Maurer: chandelier

NV Gallery: headboard (bedroom)

Mogg: lamp

Through Empire: coffee table, metal pedestal, mask (den)

through adc eindhoven: vintage pendant fixtures (stable)

through mass modern design: armchairs (sitting room)

Bato: brick, stone, wood supplier

through loads 040: vintage accessories

Milestones – 60 Years

Six institutions to celebrate 60 years. That’s the innovative approach the Fondation Pierre Bergé–Yves Saint Laurent is taking to mark the anniversary of Saint Laurent’s first runway show, on January 29, 1962, when he was a mere 26 years old. The exhibition, dubbed “Yves Saint Laurent aux Musées,” celebrates both the French clothing designer’s mastery and art in general throughout a half dozen Paris museums: the Centre Pompidou, Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, Musée du Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Musée National Picasso-Paris, and Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris, the latter, which opened in 2017, showcasing the Hommage à Piet Mondrian and Hommage à Tom Wesselmann dresses from 1965 and 1966, respectively. Five years later was when French photographer Jeanloup Sieff captured the courtier in black and white, which appears at the Centre Pompidou. The program runs through May 15.