Radar | Vol. 12

Liquid Glacial – Zaha Hadid

Zaha Hadid left her mark in architecture -and continues to do so through her partners- with fluid forms that test the limits of various materials such as glass. Her studio, in addition to the building scale, also experiments with the object scale. So in 2015, she launched a series of objects entitled "Liquid Glacial" that came to be added to the already existing tables that had been exhibited in 2012 at the David Gill Gallery. The seats, tables and containers made of plexiglass and acrylic look like flowing water due to the vertical and horizontal axes that seem to overlap. 

Concept by: Zaha Hadid

Photo by: Martin Slivka

I–Beam Collection – Jean-Marie Massaud for Glas Italia

Jean-Marie Massaud, through his studio of the same name, creates furniture and small objects as he experiments with light and transparency, using light and thin volumes in a design process that rejects fads and trends. His “I-Beam” collection consists of seats and low tables, which result from the union of three opaque glass surfaces, with the final product evoking a large beam. Although the joint is small and linear, his welding technique allows the glass surfaces to bear weight.

Concept by: Jean-Marie Massaud

Photo by: Glas Italia

Aalto Vase – Alvar Aalto & Aino Aalto

The “father” of Finnish (but not only) modern architecture, Alar Aalto and his wife Aino Maria Marsio - Aalto (architect and designer of textiles, glass objects and lamps) created the “Alvar Aalto” collection, heavily influenced by Finnish history and tradition. The shape of the glasses, vases and containers is inspired by the Sámi dresses and was first introduced in 1936 by the Iittala blown glass factory, which continues to produce these glass objects and in 2023 will relaunch some original designs on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of Aalto's birth. The "Aalto Vase" in particular is also known as the "Savoy Vase" since it was designed specifically for the "Savoy" restaurant. The asymmetry of this object represents the original, honest and aesthetically striking Finnish design.

Concept by: Alvar Aalto & Aino Aalto

Photo by: Marija Holma, Alvar Aalto Museum

Qaammat Pavilion – Konstantin Ikonomidis

Konstantin Ikonomidis is a Swedish architect, a graduate of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, with a special interest in extreme climates, while he also experiments with the potential of materials and collaborates with artisans from various fields. The "Qaammat Pavilion" is located in Sarfannguit, in the west of Greenland, and was erected on the occasion of the declaration of this natural environment as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site-specific monument highlights the intangible cultural heritage of the Inuits as well as the traditional construction method. The two curved surfaces that make up the monument are constructed of glass bricks made in Venice and symbolize the two fjords that "meet" in this place of unique beauty.

Concept by: Konstantin Ikonomidis

Photo by: Julien Lanoo

Ghost Chair – Cini Boeri for Fiam

Architect and interior and object designer Cini Boeri grew up and studied in Milan, and made history with her revolutionary design, distinguished by material economy, and her accomplishments as a woman living in the mid-20th century. Her famous 'Ghost Chair' dates back to 1987 and consists of a single surface of 12mm thick glass. It is a transparent sculpture, a monolithic volume that combines high aesthetics with simple geometric shapes, curves and functionality. These, after all, were the characteristics of the timeless design of Cini Boeri, who passed away in 2020.

Concept by: Cini Boeri

Photo by: Fiam

Amorphous Collection – Shohei Yokoyama

Shohei Yokoyama is a well-known designer from Japan who has studied at the Craft and Glassmaking School of Osaka University and who explores how the natural force applied by the designer to the blown glass mixture as well as the designer’s emotional state both influence the silhouette of an original and unique glass object. His visual creations are designed and take shape after real experimentation with each material when it reaches the temperature of 1200 degrees Celsius and becomes amorphous.

Concept by: Shohei Yokoyama

Photo by: Shohei Yokoyama

Melt Chair – Nendo for Wonderglass

The unique design of “Melt Chair” is a reference to the weight and flexibility of liquid glass. To give this feeling to the otherwise stable and robust material of glass, a unique technique was used whereby layers of hot glass sheets were laid over steel shapes and then suspended between steel bars to create the material’s natural drape. After the glass has dried this image of the inverted arch is created. Thus, the entire "Melt" furniture series combines flat and curved glass surfaces, highlighting the properties of glass as well as the possibilities of specialised craftsmanship.

Concept by: Nendo

Photo by: Wonderglass

Precarious Collection – Héctor Esrawe, Emiliano Godoy & Brian Thoreen for Nouvel Studio

Vissio is a platform by Nouvel Studio, the company that has been producing blown glass designs for 25 years, which aims to help designers, artists and architects to collaborate with the aim of creating limited collections that experiment with materials and push the boundaries between art and design. For the "Precarious" collection, creators Héctor Esrawe, Emiliano Godoy and Brian Thoreen managed to balance (without additional joints) rounded glass volumes on thin metal profiles, rendering a strong sense of flow. The fragility of high-quality glass is highlighted as it is juxtaposed with the “savage” look of metal and placed very high from the ground.

Concept by: Héctor Esrawe, Emiliano Godoy, Brian Thoreen

Photo by: Camila Cossio

Roly-Poly Chair / Water – Faye Toogood

The special design of this seat is a reference to motherhood as the shape of the Roly-Poly Chair "hugs" the user through exuberant geometry. For manufacturing purposes, hand-formed moulds are covered with unpainted fibreglass or in charcoal and beige colours. The success of this design was such that Faye Toogood, during Assemblage 5 at the Friedman Benda Gallery in New York, launched the same seat made of bronze as well as crystal, a material that symbolizes the natural element of water. The transparency, in addition to a light feeling, gives the object honesty since the connection of the seat with the cylindrical legs becomes apparent.

Concept by: Toogood

Photo by: Toogood