Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2018 i OBJEKT South Africa

EMBEDDED within Harbin’s wetlands, the Harbin Opera House was designed to be the focal point of the Cultural Island, in response to the force and spirit of the northern city’s untamed wilderness and frigid climate. Appearing as if sculpted by wind and water, the building seamlessly blends in with nature and the topography — a transfusion of local identity, art, and culture. “We envision Harbin Opera House as a cultural centre of the future – a tremendous performance venue, as well as a dramatic public space that embodies the integration of human, art and the city identity, while synergistically blending with the surrounding nature”, said Ma Yansong, founding principal of MAD Architects. Up in the northern China, winter is long and hard. In the darkness, the lighting design of the…

THE 353m2 loft is the client’s secondary residence. It serves as both a calm and airy space to come home to after a hectic day: a versatile private space to entertain friends and guests in the great room or on the private rooftop. The great room now spans across forty percent of the overall space and offers a seamless open living concept between the living and dining area as well as the kitchen. A generous master suite is located on the opposite end of the apartment, which is buffered by two spacious bedrooms and secondary spaces. The client’s initial informal brief for the interiors contained four words: ‘Open space. Contemporary. Serene.’ Responding to the client’s request and vision, the focus of the understated contemporary design concept turned towards material character…

KERYLOS Intérieurs was founded by Didier Benderli to create and manage hospitality and restoration interior design projects as well as private residences. Kerylos Intérieurs strives to design personalised attractive and functional spaces. The agency endeavours to revisit a form of classicism, challenging different elements and bringing them together in an unexpected way, playing around with shapes and colours in a way that makes them uniquely memorable. Thoughtfully selected materials, mediums, shapes and colours draw on emotion and understanding, merging together to seduce and comfort. Their projects are inspired by a site’s history or created from scratch staying true to architectural form and an attention to detail. It’s this obsession with detail which clearly influenced Didier Benderli’s choices when he was deliberating whether to study architecture, art history at the Sorbonne…

THE GAGGENAU VALUES, which have remained constant since 1683, are an ongoing quest for authenticity and uncompromising quality. Synonymous with exclusive culinary culture, Gaggenau is not simply an appliance it is an experience recognised for its sophisticated lifestyle. Gaggenau has been a subsidiary of BSH Hausgeräte GmbH in Munich since 1995 and is currently represented in more than 50 countries with flagship showrooms in major cities around the world such as Munich, Prague, Vienna, Milan, California, France, Istanbul, London, Chicago, China, Beijing, Cape Town and Johannesburg. This is the leading brand for domestic appliances and has taken a pioneering role in innovation and design “Made in Germany”. Its success is based on technological advances and a clear design language, paired with perfect function. “We immerse ourselves in the culinary world.…

SITUATED on a sixteen-and-a-half-hectare property nestled between the hills of Napa and Sonoma Counties in the US, the house was originally constructed in 1889 by a prominent physician from San Francisco as a family retreat and farm. Following his death, his wife and daughters continued to maintain the property raising poultry and planting numerous fruit trees. Named “La Perlita del Monte” (the little pearl of the mountain) by the family, this site has a long agrarian history that continues today as part of the renowned Diamond Mountain District AVA. Originally designed to respond to the local climate, the house features wraparound porches, deep overhangs, an elevated floor level to catch the breeze, and tall ceilings. Following extensive historical research and planning, the historic structure was updated within the framework of…

FROM the moment you enter the Conrad hotel you are impressed by its trove of artwork. Before you even discover the hotel’s 2000 artworks on display, you are encapsulated by the Loopy Doopy dramatic blue and purple Sol LeWitt painting, that rises 13 stories high - The late artist’s largest and most revered work. The piece, which took 380 litres of paint and 3000 hours to complete, is simply breath-taking in the sunlit 15-story atrium entrance. Then, as you walk to the top of the hotel’s grand staircase you’re greeted by another expansive wall painting this time by Pat Steir, entitled Topsy Turvey for its display of gem-toned painted ribbons, flowing over a subtle grid on a yellow background. And in the east entry of the atrium lobby, sits Imi…

BEFORE PORING over the raft of technical updates lavished upon Ferrari’s latest Grand Tourer, take a step back, breathe deeply and admire the sculpted styling. This is a car that stirs you emotionally – a trait that the California, for all its bandwidth, didn’t possess. Objekt Magazine was at the genesis of Ferrari’s modern day Grand Tourer which during its lifecycle included the eco-conscious decision to adopt the new 3.9-litre turbocharged engine. While bearing many similarities, the Portofino heralds a new chapter for the Italian marque. Standing at Scuderia South Africa’s showroom in Bryanston at the official reveal, with the customer launch the next day, even the Ferrari faithful were speaking in tongues. “We are thrilled to introduce our latest addition to the Prancing horse family in South Africa. The…

OMEGA DE VILLE TRÉSOR LADIES The word trésor means “treasure” in French, and it is the name of Omega’s new collection of ladies’ watches. The sub-collection, actually, of the De Ville family isn’t new in name, but they are new in some other ways for Omega. The Omega De Ville Trésor ladies watch comes in a couple of sizes and a range of styles with different case materials, dial colors, and straps. All include diamonds, but options in stainless steel help keep prices more reasonable for more people. Applied to a ladies’ watch, the name Trésor seems totally natural and appropriate, but the Omega De Ville Trésor has existed as a somewhat overlooked limited-edition men’s watch since 2014. A ladies’ version was also added, but it stayed consistent with the…