Published on : Thursday, September 21, 2017
The 23rd edition of 100% Design, one of the largest trade shows for architects and designers in the UK and during London Design Festival, opened its doors on September 20 with a welcome by star designer Michael Young. The moment also marked the unveiling of Max Fraser’s feature installation of the show’s theme, ‘Elements’, which celebrates iconic designs from the past and present.
Michael Young, the Hong Kong-based British designer renowned for combining ergonomics with technology, is presenting his new exuberant Roxanne seats for the iconic Italian furniture brand Gufram at this year’s show. Created with the assistance of an innovative computer program, these bright, colourful seats have been inspired by disco décor and the designer’s musical passion.
Michael Young comments, “100% Design has managed to evolve and to become one of the most interesting design events both in London and worldwide and I am honoured to be part of this edition.”
Max Fraser, design writer and recently appointed Content Editor at 100% Design, has created a major installation which follows this year’s show theme of Elements and suspends from the distinctive glass and iron Olympia ceiling. Elements’ brings together a selection of iconic products from the past and present, including seating by Barber & Osgerby for Vitra, Tom Dixon and Nika Zupanc for Sé, lighting by Tom Raffield and Michael Young for EOQ Design. Shining the spotlight on just one aspect or detail of each chosen product, accompanied by a succinct text from the designer, the feature brings to attention the intelligent design solutions, sophisticated tooling or innovative production techniques that one might not normally appreciate.
Highlights include:
• Diatom chair by Ross Lovegrove, Moroso: The designer developed a pressed digital surface with slight deviations within the structure. This makes the chair stronger but also lighter due to less material being needed.
• Bramah pendant by Michael Young, EOQ Design: The lamp casts beautiful shadows using a finned lampshade structure which is extremely difficult to produce. Young uses the CNC process in combination with his own secret system supporting the fins internally, in order to produce this remarkable effect.
• Tip Ton Chair by Barber & Osgerby, Vitra: The Tip Ton chair is designed so that it can move but without a mechanism. This was challenging for Barber & Osgerby because the angle and shape of the skid had to be just right, too far forward you feel like you may fall, and too far back no benefit is felt.
• Wingback chair, Tom Dixon: Dixon designed this chair for Shoreditch House to be positioned with its back facing the room, in an area where you are not allowed to use your phone. Bearing this in mind the design not only incorporates a beautifully recognisable bum ith a sweeping back, but also incorporates big ears, allowing the user to hide when they don’t want to be seen.
• Sky-Frame: This high quality sliding door incorporates a new-patented track system hidden beneath the floor. As a result of this ground-breaking technology, the design includes thermal insulation, water tightness, air infiltration and resistance to wind load values.
Max Fraser says, “Design is rarely simple in its creation. Over the years, I’ve had countless conversations with designers about their products and have often been told stories about the various elements of a design that were particularly complicated to overcome in development. These sorts of details are overlooked by most of us when we view a finished item. Taking the show theme of ‘elements’, I have chosen a selection of products and highlighted their neglected detail in the hope that the intelligent and design-savvy visitors of 100% Design will appreciate this.”
Young and Fraser also launched this year’s talks programme. Alongside the individual talks each day, there are panel discussions exploring trends in contemporary design and speculating on its future with UnWork, WGSN, I-AM Shift and an Interiors masterclass with the British Interior Institute.
More than 400 established international brands are participating in this year’s show covering five sections: Interiors, Workplace, Kitchens, Bathrooms & Bedrooms, Design & Build and Emerging Brands.
Tags: 100% Design, bathrooms, Bedrooms, Design & Build, Emerging Brand, interiors, kitchens, Max Fraser, Michael Young, workplace
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