Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2016 (Issue 15) i OBJEKT South Africa

THE PROJECT included redesigning the entertainment areas (games room, media room, bar and gym), all of which were located in the basement. Further to that, the open reception and dining spaces, office, bedrooms and private family room as well as the service kitchen and servant’s quarters. The ground floor is divided, in true Richani style, by four parallel blank travertine walls, which extend outside to the two gardens – the swimming pool main garden and the smaller court. The presence of these walls, setting the geometry of this floor, is felt throughout - in the reception area, dining room, kitchen and patio, as well as in the main garden, the “olive tree court” and the corner entrance court. These walls replace the need for a fence, thus offering a small…

 NEW CHALLENGES need to be converted into opportunities. Ferrari is a brand that understands this phase well, being at the forefront of every technological shift, refining the process and always looking ahead to ensure that its new creations don’t just merely adapt, but exceed. Through breath-taking designs that serve a highly functional purpose, the Italian marque balances raw emotion with modern techniques, resulting in that unrivalled passion and flair that has transcended all generations. The latest incarnation to embody this performance and technological prowess is the Ferrari 488 – the successor to the 458 which in its own right established a number of benchmarks. The 488, however, is vastly different and has gone in search of a completely new set of rules, ones that are dictated by…

WHEN the winning position comes down to a matter of mere milliseconds, it is vital that the company who is entrusted with this timekeeping has no room for error. The Olympic Games have evolved over time, and the athletes too have become faster, stronger and bigger, OMEGA has had to follow suite and keep up. In 1932, history was changed by the fact that a single private company was commended the honour of keeping time across all of the events that were hosted by the Olympic Games – an honour that was awarded to OMEGA. They supplied one timekeeper and 30 high precision chronographs, which had all been certified as chronometers by the Observatory at Neuchâtel (an astronomical observatory in Switzerland) and allowed them to officially capture results the nearest…

 FOLLOWING IN THE Scandinavian tradition of saunas as a place for gathering, wa_sauna provides a place for Seattle’s community to share a unique experience on the water. goCstudio planned the first events involving the wa_sauna in spring and summer of 2016. The co-founders of goCstudio and architects Jon Gentry and Aimée O’Carroll stated, “The idea for the floating sauna was born on a cold and wet winter’s day. Combining our love of the water, the relaxing dry heat of saunas, and floating structures, the project began to take shape. We focused on primal concepts of fire, water, and community. We were searching for a way to engage the water surrounding our city, enticing visitors onto the lakes year round. We called this project ‘wa_sauna’ and felt it would be a…

 THE RESORT reaches 183 metres above sea level on a 960,000 square metre site selected for its 360 degree views over the calm Aegean Sea, dotted with misty islands rising out of the ultra-blue water, as well as vistas over olive groves and a vineyard. The renowned Aman Resorts architect, Ed Tuttle, conceptualised and oversaw every aspect of the architecture and interior design of Amanzoe, to the most intricate detail. Built by Domotechniki SA, the construction of the 17,100 square metre mega-project started in March 2010 and took 28 months to complete. The most visually prominent materials used in the creation of the resort are marble and stone. To Ed Tuttle, they are “the most basic and noble materials of Greece”. Large beige-coloured marble tiles in ‘Sinai Pearl Antique’…

THE TREND REPORT is based on a year’s research and it defines the direction in which architecture, interior design and products will evolve into 2017 and 2018. The report is now in its fifth year and has become the definitive design reference for many designers and architects. This year saw five major themes emerge, with the first being referred to as “Debonair”. The direction of this term is one of simplicity, which is masculine in nature, yet devoid of any unnecessary ornamentation. It relies on carefully placed detailing that is precise but not ostentatious. An important feature of this design direction is a truth to materials, which continues from the previous directions that we have seen in recent years in the industrial trend. This execution is now more refined than…

THE OKAVANGO DELTA is an almost untouched natural wonder, shaped by water and characterised by the subtle, shifting colours of nature. The redesigned Belmond Eagle Island Lodge is a retreat for the discerning adventurer. Perched on a private island surrounded by some of the deepest stretches of the delta, Belmond Eagle Island Lodge encompasses 12 luxury tented chalets, each with a large terrace and plunge pool. The lodge boasts a large dining room and a lounge that spans across two floors. There is an arrivals boma, the Fish Eagle Bar, a library as well as an Internet lounge; and finally a campfire area. All of the structures are brand new, their design inspired from the large ant hills in the local landscape, as well as the gentle flow of the…

 THE PROPERTY is built in the residential area of Gyeongseo-dong, located between Seoul and Incheon International Airport. It responds with great sensitivity to this transit point environment of “neither here, nor there”. The world around us might be changing but our house can still act like a shield against that. The building, which is a great example of Deconstructive Architecture with its controlled chaos (brought about through the latent ideas of fragmentation), achieves a really strong sense of place. The main entrance to the open white box leads directly into the garden. However, the courtyard is everything but contained as it goes up through the sloping roof to show that from a bird’s-eye view, most of the surface of the house is grass. In doing so, the house itself…

 WHEN QUESTIONED about the design brief, the architects said,”Our brief was to design a contemporary family home that is both practical yet architecturally stunning – the house must have a good balance between garden and built structure, and the garden must be visual at all times when one is in the house. We looked at designing a structure that hugged the back boundaries and focused the house on the inner garden space, this allowed us to create a very private structure from the neighbours and yet a completely transparent aspect to the garden. The house was designed with major family entertainment in mind, as the family is quite large. All bedrooms are upstairs, being the main private areas, and the ground floor is mostly entertainment. The biggest issue…

IN AN ERA where everything revolves around technology, brands are continually striving to bring new developments into their existing product lines. Blinds are no exception to the rule even though they have been around for decades. New innovations are ensuring that this is one product line that will continue to gain popularity. One of the biggest fears people have when deciding to go with blinds rather than traditional curtains is the dangers of the cords. The hanging adjustment cords can be dangerous for both children and pets. Luxaflex®, the world leader in window covering manufacturing, has come up with a solution. This new system called Luxaflex® SmartCord®, is a revolutionary new operating system that uses a retractable cord mechanism to raise and lower the blind. With just a single stroke…

LOWREY was asked to create an entirely new experience that appealed to the next generation of Las Vegas guests, the Millennials, an underserved but growing market that is not primarily in Las Vegas to gamble, but to dine and socialise. The 2,500-room LINQ Hotel and Casino will redefine the Las Vegas experience as the first of its kind in the city and represents the future of Las Vegas. Elkus Manfredi Architects have created a balance of experiences designed specifically for the Millennial, maintaining casino space but placing gaming as only one component of a greater environment of hip, warm, and lively communal spaces. They offer the social connection, high-end technology, and “cool” factor of the lifestyle desired by the Millennial. The former hotel had no arrival space, no heart. The…

ULYSSE NARDIN SKELETON TOURBILLON PEARL In the previous issue of OBJEKT , I elaborated on my feelings towards the men’s Deckhand Marine model from Ulysse Nardin, and it is thus no secret that I am a huge fan of the brand. Now, we take a sneak peek into the Skeleton Tourbillon, which has been affectionately nicknamed “Pearl”. High-end jewellery timepieces have evolved into interestingly complicated watches, and the Pearl is no exception. Transparent and fluid in design, one can see the inner workings and adornments perfected by freely penetrating light. Its face, bridges, bezel, horns and crown are covered with a thin layer of mother-of-pearl. At the heart of the timepiece, is the in-house developed Skeleton Tourbillon Calibre UN-170 Manufacture with its infinite maze of individual movements, parts and skeletonized…

 THE OVERALL DESIGN, inside and out, of Better Place is innovative compared to any other similar yacht. The exterior and interiors have been developed following the Wally concept of inside-outside living areas, with interiors opening onto the exterior, and vice versa. Wally was introduced in 1998 with the sailing cruiser Tiketitan. This concept had been continuously developed by the Monegasque brand, which also pioneered the glass deckhouses and deck skylights. The interior design combines gloss and satin finished carbon looks, white stained oak in satin finish, grey leather and colour-coordinated upholstery to create a relaxed feeling. Colour-changing LED lights are used throughout the yacht and can be adjusted, reflecting the interior design concept of soft and neutral tones, with the light adding colour to the yacht. The cabins are…