Design in Context: Milan

We went on a walk through of the factory where catwalk collections (prototypes) are made for Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney and others. We saw where the designers sketches are developed toile and the departments where patterns are digitized, cut, fabricated and finished – fascinating!

http://www.kering.com/

We visited the Pirelli Building today to see the exhibition charting the building’s history. The view from the 26th floor is spectacular, a 360 perspective of Milano and an especially amazing view of Stazione Centrale.

http://www.triennale.org/en/mostra/le-eta-del-grattacielo/

Now that we are about half way through our trip, my sketchbook is nearly halfway used. When I started sketching, I was terrified. I’m not an art/design major, nor do I have any background in art, so I was nervous that not only would I not enjoy it but that I’d be terrible at it.

However, I have grown to love my sketchbook; I make notes in there, sketch my daily life, and attempt to keep up with the assignment. Now when I don’t sketch or journal, I don’t feel right. Using my journal as my creative outlet has become very therapeutic, and I couldn’t imagine not having it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My focus for my journal is the flushing mechanisms in Europe (Italy, primarily, but also Scotland), and I wanted to compare them to the ones we have back home in the States in the attempt to figure out why they are so distinctly different.

Thus far, Europeans tend to favor the single button flusher or the two-buttoned one, because they want to conserve water and reduce waste as much as possible. The two-buttoned restrooms are especially conservation centered: the large button used for waste and the smaller one for water conservation.

In America, however, the handle flush is widely used except in a few upscale locations such as big corporations or more environmentally conscious areas (i.e. Austin, TX).

The concept of focusing on this was to easily compare the two ways of living; my American lifestyle never took into account the level of water consumption, because I never had to, yet here in Italy we are forced to pay for water or pay for the restroom or use toilets that are a bit foreign. It really makes you pay attention to the rest of your life.

For instance, trash is separated here in Italy between glass, plastic, paper, compost, and general trash, while in the States people may occasionally recycle or reuse, but there’s no enforcement nor incentive. I think once I’m  back home, I’ll be able to implement all of the useful, environmentally helpful things I’ve picked up here – maybe even convince others to try it as well. It would be interesting to say the least if we could implement more conservative methods both in our consumption and waste back home.

Artemide

3 collections of Artemide:

1. Design: Glass and Tech
2. Architectural: Indoor and Outdoor
3. Danese: Professional and Environmental

From the 1960s to now, Artemide has experienced drastic changes. For instance, in the beginning, the company focused on Plastic and many new materials, and they did (and still do) extensive research on the relationship between man and light. In the early stages, they were experimenting with how different designs changed how people used their products as well as how to efficiently make changes that were both aesthetic and functional. However, Artemide now focuses more on remakes and the aesthetic of their design.

One of the biggest advances of the company was through the revolutionary use of LED lights. LED lights don’t give off much light, but they gave the company the ability to add color and dimension to their previous inventions. Not only could they completely change their old products and bring forth a new model, but designers were able to create completely new products – many beyond the comprehension of those in their time. They brought in real-life applicable techniques such as the addition of joints to lamps and changing the shapes in order to cast light in a whole new way.

As of 2015, the company has begun using more glass, technology, and modern approaches to design in order to reduce their environmental impacts through their old techniques (i.e. large consumption of Plastic). Now, they try to mix tradition with innovation in order to keep their brand as familiar as possible while still making grand strides towards advancement.

Many great projects include: Li-fi and Ameluna:

“Li-fi” is the interaction between humans and light sources. By creating a dialogue between the two, data and information can be communicated between light sources; this new science is still in the process, but it opens new forms of communication as well as a more in-depth understanding of the relationship between man and their environment.

And Ameluna is a “bright future project” that continues that push for environmental awareness. Light and heat relationship brings about the technical and emotional connections humans have with their environments.

There is also the use of lights to create fonts and creative outlets through the extensive use of lights. Michele de Lucchi, for example, created the Tycho Professional of 2016, which incorporates light by creating a font and building a light-based alphabet. It goes by the acronym: LoT, Light over Time. It’s Reflective Technology that uses LED lights (both colored and not). It can be scheduled through a time sequence, and it creates light symmetry through the programming of light and appliances.

Overall, Artemide is about modernity and functionality. It was a great pleasure to explore their shop as well as their factory. It gives one a new perspective on the relationship between us (humans) and light.

Another exciting week in Milan. From Portaluppi to Terragni to Castiglioni to Boccioni to a small glimpse into Aldo Rossi’s design process. Here are my takeaways from all these designers.

Portaluppi – an explorer, experimenter and visionary. He marbled at patterns, form and function. He loved to throw something old into a contemporary object and vice versa. He designed furniture that was ahead of its time. The black couch in his studio, for example, that particular form is still in use today. He shared his vision for the future and many designers were inspired by that spirit.

Boccioni – artist, painter and activist. Amazing attention to detail. I was drawn to his pencil studies and portrait work. Especially, the emphasis placed on the human nose—each stroke on the nose added a different quality to each portrait. He truly captured the essence of each person. A shift in his work occurred when he started to deconstruct the image. By placing equal focus on both the object and subject with movement and color, he reversed the importance of the image. He was inspired and drew from his environment. He went from representative to abstract. Or to better describe this shift, he became a futurist, which was similar to cubism, but more powerful, in my opinion, as they were also making political statements. His shift in philosophy also separated him from the Divisionists.

Terragni – an architect that designed for the fascist regime. He loved to design utilitarian buildings with uniformity and symmetry. He represented uniformity, but designed for very specific needs. He was mindful of every object and its use. The attention to project’s needs was incredible. He designed an elementary school that completely captured my interest. Although, a bit off putting for me, it was amazing to see that he designed every single element of the building was designed to fit a child’s body. The chairs, the tables, the bathrooms, the sinks and even the stairs. The stairs in the back of the building were situated exactly to the Roman tower on top of the mountain (maybe, placed for a historical lesson for the children.) Every aspect of a building had to have a purpose.

Castiglioni – an amazing collector, observer and a very creative man with a sense of humor. He was a problem solver that truly believed in the term form follows function. He was known to say … “if you are not aware, you are not a designer.” His inspiration for his designed objects were actually anonymous objects. For example, he was inspired by a fisherman’s cup to design a lamp. He was also inspired to design a 3 point balance system by a milking chair/stool. His studio was filled trinkets and anonymous object.

The project that captured my attention at Alessi was the “memory containers” workshop, which prompted designers to draw from their cultural heritage or personal experience to design an object (or I’d like to think, to design a memory). It was great to hear our host discuss the rituals of gifting. “Every culture all over the world has an offering ritual.” They had the designers explore the memory of their gifting culture. There was no prescribed goal or object to design—only explorations. Alberto wanted the designers to have freedom to explore and play without any restrictions. This allowed the designers to explore their traditions, cultures and even childhood memories to generate activities. What arose from this activity was a variety of products. The outcome was so successful that 15 objects were produced from this project. Although, I am not an industrial designer, my thesis project closely relates to this gifting ritual and workshop generated by Alberto. The outcome was different than my Cultura within thesis project, but the intention was the same to use one’s culture to strengthen and build connections. My project involved learning about one’s culture to find strength within. The hope for my project is to create agency and perseverance to continue with one’s goals rather than be paralyzed by fear and doubts. Just as Alberto is interested in developing products that encourage development in the public, I am interested in the development of the community through objects—taking it one step further—I’m making a connection between object and subject to build a stronger, supportive and better community.

Another aspect of Alessi’s visit that captured my attention was the designers’ process of creation and design. I was fascinated by seeing Aldo Rossi’s process compared to Michael Graves, Ricardo Dalisi, Ettere Sottsass, etc … I loved seeing the varying making processes of all designers. It was interesting learning about the transition process for all designers, from drawing to paper to wood prototype to stainless steel prototypes. The contrast from progression to simplification of the final product intrigued me. I was enthralled by Aldo Rossi’s “hands off” style of designing, where he allowed the technical team to solve the small, technical details of the object. He was never preoccupied with the minutia of an object, just the larger vision. He was mainly interested in the final outcome. Unlike, Ricardo Dalisi—he needed to visualize every step of the process so, he created prototype after prototype. He was a visual maker—he created varying prototypes from paper to wood to generate a final product. All artists, designers, and architects had a particular process of designing, whether it be collecting, making, writing or drawing, they all followed different processes. Their practice was based on personal style, they all discovered their way of working. There was no prescribed process. They all wanted to make better products for a better living.

As a group we had our first walk from our first location Universita Luigi Bocconi, to the Torre Velasca Piazza.

The route was about an 18 min walk. At first arriving to the Universita, it is encompassed by a beautiful public park, with students and people buzzing all around. The closest feeling of this space would be Washington Square Park in New York. As we continued to walk down the path the buildings went from some student living apartments, to hip bistros and bars, and then to a residential area that was less modern with huge magnolia trees, and Jasmine growing everywhere.

There was a turning point when we  passed an archive building that the whole front was covered in Medieval gothic text. Once we passed this building, the path we were walking was no longer inviting, and felt very stark. We arrived to the Torre Velasca, and the area was basically dead. The tower spread this cold feeling, and there was not many people walking in the area. It was very fascinating to see the transformation of our walk from the beginning to end.

I want to preface this post with the fact that I’m not someone who can consistently keep up with a journal or a sketchbook, especially if it is assigned. There is this inherent dislike of regimented cataloguing and documentation that I refuse to do when it is an assignment. So the fact that I have kept up with this assignment, and with enthusiasm that has surprised me, is really an exciting and encouraging prospect. Maybe I am growing out of my childish rebellion, who knows.

Milan has to much to document and draw that at first, I couldn’t settle. I spent the first two days so overwhelmed with what ti draw on the very first page of my sketchbook that I ended up doing nothing for that time period. Finally, I had to just scold myself into sitting and doing SOMETHING. Ironically, I opened up my sketchbook the wrong way, so the scribbled drawings of the arches seen at the roof of the Duomo are at the back of the book. The actual first page is a sparse outline of a display window I drew while waiting for some classmates to finish up shopping one free evening the first week. So much for a good start…

But those two drawings gave me a good starting point for what I wanted to fill up my sketchbook with.Over the course of this study abroad, I decided to catalogue the different types of moulding and decor that adorns doors, windows, and arches. Milan, and Italy in general, has some really beautiful windows and doors, with elaborately carved detailing added to what is essentially a hole in a wall. There certainly isn’t a lack of simple glass windows around the city, but the abundance of old structures drowns out the simpler buildings.

The first spread I chose for this post was the sketch of two windows that I noticed from the window during one of our lectures in basic Italian. The two windows are from the same building, seen one on top of the other, and they’re so very different. The former used more circular motifs, coifs, and has a beautiful little balcony rail. The latter seems to reference the triangular pediment of the Parthenon in Athens. The common motif is the leafy bands that run down the sides of the windows. They are set into the flat facade of the building.

This past weekend in Edinburgh, the window and door vibe was drastically different. Both Milan and Edinburgh are intertwined with their respective old heritages but Scotland hails from a very different time. The history in Edinburgh really begins in the Middle Ages, and that is quite apparent, even through the little windows and doors of places. The windows (as seen in the sketches in the spread below) are simply decorated with linear patterns, and maybe the occasional moulding for decoration.

The windows at Doune Castle, where certain scenes from Outlander and Monty Python were filmed, had arched windows with a keystone to hold the arch together. But again, these windows were very very simple, set into the corbeled stone walls and not protruding like the windows in Milan.

With this bit of comparison and background in mind, I’m looking forward to finding more patterns and history through doors and windows.

The Alessi factory and “museum” was quite frankly the most amazing space ever. I’ve said on multiple occasions that as long as I had a supply of food, I could live my life out in an art supply store. The same applies to the Alessi design archive. I bet there wouldn’t be a single dull day there because I’d be finding some small little work of design that had a deeply intriguing backstory to it. Our tour guide for the archive was the cutest little Italian lady who perhaps was the best estimate for a middle aged Luna Lovegood.

One of the central themes in their process of design is functionality and durability while also building an emotional relationship with the user. That primarily seemed to manifest itself through the “cute” aspect whether it be gimmicky and silly or just compact and adorable. As our lovely tour guide started to elaborate on that theme though, the relationship aspect became clearer. She mentioned a project that Alessi had for a group of designers where they were asked to create a tray or object that drew inspiration from memories of comfort and home. The artists involved drew inspiration from childhood memories or things commonly used in places where they grew up to forge a sort of emotional bond with the piece they created.

This concept of functionality and familiarity seems like a rather clever way of denoting their products are worthy of a place in someone’s home. The environment of comfort and warmth that Alessi strives to imbue in their sensible and necessary domestic products really came through.