Ceramicist Olivia Barry Looks to the Past for Present Designs

Get to Know Ceramicist Olivia Barry

Interior Design: How did you find your way to ceramics?

Olivia Barry: My grand­mother was a potter, and the exposure I got from her lit a spark in me. I took pottery classes from age 10 in Toronto, where I grew up, and then in Ohio, where we moved when I was a teenager. Wherever I’ve lived, I’ve always found studios in which to work.

ID: But didn’t you originally study industrial design?

OB: Yes, at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. Although it’s known for automotive design, it has an amazing and unsung industrial design program as well. Another influence was meeting Wendell Castle in high school, when he was giving a talk at the Toledo Museum of Art. I was really interested in his work and the sculptural nature of furniture, so I pursued those ideas in school.

ID: What is the most interesting thing you learned from her?

OB: To be brave. When Eva lived in Russia in the 1930’s, she was imprisoned because she was accused of plotting to kill Stalin. She survived the Gulag for, I believe, 18 months. And then went on to have an incredible life. Eva did things other people hadn’t done before and she did them seemingly fearlessly. She didn’t worry about what was going on in the design world. I don’t think she really noticed.

ID: How did you end up going out on your own?

OB: I was working for Eva on the weekends or after hours while also making my own ceramics in a group studio in Brooklyn. I’d done prototypes for what is now my Scroll Luminaire, which ended up in the Design Trust for Public Space auction in 2017. People really responded to them—there was even a bidding war. So, I decided to start working on more, moved out of the city, and built a studio in Tarrytown, where I now live.

Peek at Olivia Barry’s Lighting Designs, and More

Retail Projects Raise the Bar for Social Responsibility

With such selling points as advanced robotic technologies and social responsibility, retail projects from Shanghai to Philadelphia meet—and surpass—the needs of today.

Compartés Designed by Nakkash Design Studio

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The Los Angeles chocolatier’s first Middle East location—a department store shop-in-shop that took the local firm just 90 days from concept to completion—makes the most of 150 square feet and a soaring ceiling via painted-MDF mobile displays and a 20-foot-tall, ombré-acrylic zigzag that divvies space, supports brass shelving, and multitasks as signage. Sweet!

Blue Table Chocolates Designed by Arch&Type

Buffalo, New York

The untempered crystallized form of and silky filling inside the artisan treats made and sold at the 900-square-foot shop drove its parametric “river” ceiling, a passerby-luring feature fabricated by University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning students of CNC-milled EPS foam that’s been hand-coated in plaster then painted metallic gold, a machine-meets-craft process similar to that used to produce such truffle flavors as sacre torte and blackberry mojito.

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Le Sélect Designed by Atmosphere Architects

Chengdu, China

Pure and monumental, natural stone not only inspired but is also the star material in the ethereal 7,300-square-foot volume housing women’s luxury clothing and accessories, where a sculptural spiral staircase connects the two levels, and stainless steel and glass dress up the brawn of the travertine and granite appearing throughout.

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Angel Care Pharmacy Designed by Sergio Mannino Studio

Philadelphia

This community-minded, mission-driven storefront, in a neighborhood ravaged by the opioid epidemic, was conceived as a beacon of safety, serenity, and service—concepts sensitively conveyed via the fashion-forward architectural branding agency’s collateral and interior. Note, for instance, the soothing mauve palette applied to walls, chrome-back seats, and even the compostable packaging, arrayed on Studio deForm shelving.

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Relay Designed by Muku Design Studio

Shanghai

The bookseller’s latest outpost occupies 4,000 square feet in Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, its forestlike solid-pine beams and columns crisscrossed and stacked up to 16 feet high and incorporating integral seating that provides a welcome contrast to and place to read amid the hustle and bustle of terminal T2.

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Enliven the Patio With Outdoor Seating in Candy Colors

Talk about a delectable treat. Roche Bobois‘ collaboration with Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos produced fun, softly shaped sofas, rugs, and cushions in a color palette inspired by the pastel houses in Lisbon’s Old Town. BomBom Outdoor has adjustable bolster cushions that can be arranged in any way desired atop the seat. The upholstery is a cozy quilted Méridien outdoor fabric in hues that are sugar sweet and reminiscent of licorice Allsorts. Vasconcelos says she is inspired by everyday life. “As a Portuguese woman, the savoir faire and materials specific to my culture are essential: the azulejos that adorn our indoor and outdoor spaces, along with the crochet doilies that decorate sofas, tables, and televisions in all Portuguese homes.” It’s that sense of play and whimsy that defines BomBom.

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Umu’s Founder Creates a Sustainable Family Home in Belgium

There may be no such thing as a living, breathing house. But the Belgian residence that Sven Bullaert has conceived for him and his family comes close. Its timber walls are filled with lime hemp, their sides shaped by willow branches that have been smoothed over with loam. The flooring starts with a layer of crushed seashells. The roof is covered with straw. Bullaert approached the creation of the 5,400-square-foot home the same way “a bird makes his nest,” he begins, piecing together natural materials with an eye for comfort and functionality. An artist and a designer, Bullaert has also infused the setting with a quiet beauty.

He didn’t start from scratch. After decades of living in rented homes—over the course of a career in the fashion industry that included eight years as the creative director of accessories company Kipling—Bullaert had been looking for a place of his own where he could settle down and focus on projects he had long dreamed about. He found a property in Eksaarde, about an hour north of Brussels, that was next to a river and a bike trail. On it was a 120-year-old Flemish long-gable farm, a type of hardworking building that had combined living quarters for the farmers with a barn for their animals. Bullaert admired the structure’s sturdy timber construction and the way it had been oriented to take advantage of the sun. He decided to transform it into a home for his family, drawing inspiration from the architecture of Antoni Gaudí and César Manrique as well as nature-based construction methods he’d learned on travels to countries along the equator.

A Sustainable Home That Blends In With Its Surroundings

Organic Forms Add Warmth to the Home

The two-story building had been divided up to segregate livestock—sections each for horses, cows, and smaller animals like pigs and chickens. As Bullaert rebuilt walls, he left some where they had been and eliminated others to create spaces that flowed into each other. Furthering the flow—and fostering family interaction—he opened portholes on walls so that, say, the smell of soup bubbling in the kitchen would waft about. Skylights and generous windows were added to open the house to the outdoors. Bullaert hired sculptors who took a break from their own artistic endeavors to hand-trowel the loam mixture onto the curving willow branches so walls have an adobe effect, yielding the interior’s many arches and rounded corners—organic shapes that Bullaert believes make the home “warm and embracing.”

Uma’s Founder on Building on Eco-Conscious Lifestyle

The speakers are one of several projects the designer is pursuing with his firm, Umu. Bullaert, who, after Kipling, founded an eco-conscious fashion company, has dedicated Umu to advancing ventures that encourage a simpler, more sustainable and spiritual life—he chose the name umu because he feels the word connotes a wave; he later learned it means sharing common beliefs in Arabic. Another Umu endeavor is an eco-village under development in Akosombo, Ghana, a partnership with a local chief who cofounded the Royal Senchi resort there, that will be devoted to art, meditation, and making products like Belgian chocolate infused with African and Asian medicinal herbs. The village residences will be far more modest in size than Bullaert’s, but the plan is to build them using the same carefully considered—and, now, time-tested—construction methods.

Inside the Nature-Inspired Home of Uma Founder, Sven Bullaert

UMU: angel patricks amegbe.

ligne roset: sofas (living room).

focus: fireplace.

herman miller: chair, ottoman (living room), chairs (dining room, bedroom).

balta industries: carpet (music room).

elco: sconce.

umu: speakers.

hansgrohe: sink fittings (bathroom).

Mario Cucinella Architects Unearths History in Milan

As does much in Italy, it happened over dinner. So recalls architect Mario Cucinella of the genesis for Fondazione Luigi Rovati, a multifaceted institution focusing on the Etruscans, the ancient civilization dating to 900 BC that flourished for centuries in western Italy and is known for its mastery of metalwork. The project, which would be housed in the Bocconi-Rizzoli-Carraro palazzo, a 19th-century, former private home on Corso Venezia, one of the main thoroughfares in Milan, would entail a massive renovation. The Mario Cucinella Architects founder admits, however, to no previous expertise in the museum genre, although he is particularly renowned for environmentally sensitive restorations of historic buildings. “Sometimes,” he says, “it’s better not to be a specialist.” The firm was commissioned for the project in 2015.

But first a history lesson. The late Luigi Rovati was a physician, researcher, and entrepreneur in the pharmaceutical field. Knighted by the Italian republic, he also embraced art, culture, and history. Ultimately, he became a collector, amassing thousands of ancient artifacts, including many ceramics, bronzes, and gold works from the Etruscans. “They really formed the first Roman Empire,” Cucinella informs us. Meanwhile, the Rovati heirs wanted to share more than their collections, which also encompass contemporary pieces by Alberto Giacometti, Lucio Fontana, William Kentridge, and Pablo Picasso. “They were looking to promote the idea that art and culture could make people feel better, contribute to a cure,” Cucinella continues. It’s not entirely science but it did mean the museum would be a venue for scholarship, conferences, and lectures, too. Seven years ago, the family purchased the palazzo at 52 Corso Venezia.

A 19th-Century Buildings Undergoes a Massive Renovation

Today, after nearly a decade of restoration and expansion of the palazzo, Fondazione Luigi Rovati encompasses 43,000 square feet across five floors, plus two below-grade. The upper-level, formerly residential rooms have been re-programmed for exhibition, event, and office functions. The subgrade areas are the project’s cornerstone and demanded Cucinella’s most extensive efforts. Call them excavation. We’ll get to those in un momento.

Crafting a Design Narrative for Fondazione Luigi Rovati

“We sought to make it look exactly as it was,” Cucinella says of his team’s approach to the renovation of the upper floors, where elements were removed, restored, then re-installed. The story begins at the entry and “the idea of welcome,” Cucinella notes. New glass was installed in the existing fenestration and fresh coats of beige and white paint were applied, while the coffered ceiling and the brass chandelier were restored, the former now outlined in 21st-century LEDs.

Farther in, an existing mezzanine has become the foundation’s offices. Above, spaces on the piano nobile have been fitted as contemporary art galleries. “Each tells a different story,” Cucinella says. One of the more striking is a room dating to the 1960’s by architect Filippo Perego, who gave it gilt doors, a marble fireplace, and boiserie, all seamlessly restored by Cucinella and paired today with vivid magenta walls by Luigi Ontani, whose artwork is on display. Nearby, the erstwhile living room has been repainted its original turquoise and given new built-in shelving for showcasing Etruscan ceramics. Cucinella even made a spectacle of the corridor. The spine uniting these galleries now has a sinuous tentlike ceiling of painted steel panels. Temporary exhibits are shown on the fourth level, also used for events. (Ristorante Andrea Aprea, with interiors by Flaviano Capriotti Architetti, occupies the top floor.)

A Basement-Level Exhibition Space With a Moody Palette 

But for visitors to really get a newfound understanding of Italy’s cultural roots, they must go down, way down. The building’s first basement level, dedicated entirely to the Etruscans, was partially existing, stretching across the confines of the palazzo. Cucinella expanded it, reaching below the adjacent garden, to result in nearly 5,000 square feet of exhibition space. Descent upon a newly built stairway (there’s also a new elevator) marks the beginning of an almost otherworldly journey. “There’s little natural light and no reference to time,” Cucinella remarks. It’s as if embarking on a hollowed-out archaeological dig.

Inside Fondazione Luigi Rovati Designed by Mario Cucinella Architects

mario cucinella architects: giovanni sanna; damiano comini; maria dolores del sol ontalba; luca sandri; dario castellari; enrico pintabona; irene sapienza; martina buccitti; wallison caetano; eurind caka; flavio giacone; ernesto tambroni; chiara tomassi; davide cazzaniga; silvia conversano; yuri costantini; andrea genovesi.

enrico colombo: lighting consultant.

greencure: landscape architect.

milan ingegneria: structural engineer.

ediltecno restauri: general contractor.

maspero elevatori: custom elevator (entry).

capoferri serramenti: custom windows, custom doors (exterior).

iguzzini illuminazione: lighting.

brass style; goppion; nexhibit design; realize: custom display cases.

8 Noteworthy Product Launches from 3daysofdesign 2023

10 Star-studded product launches distinguished the Copenhagen fair’s 10th anniversary.

Copenhagen’s 3daysofdesign Spotlights New Product Introductions

Formakami Limited Edition JH5 by Jaime Hayon for &Tradition

The artist/designer’s existing rice-paper pendant light gets a glow-up with the application of colored organic shapes inspired by hand-painted lanterns found in Kyoto, Japan.

Compound by Thomas Lykke and Anne-Marie Buemann for Mater

Copenhagen’s OEO Studio conjured a chair collection (in lounge and dining versions) whose backrest and seat support utilize Matek, the manufacturer’s patented material that turns waste into furniture.

Grid by Hallgeir Homstvedt for Heymat

With his machine-washable recycled-PET doormats, the Norwegian offers a fresh take on the familiar pattern of intersecting parallel lines by combining a trio of hues in each of three colorways.

Edaha by Stine Gam and Enrico Fratesi for Koyori

It took 20 prototypes to perfect the specs and size of GamFratesi’s sinuous chair for the upstart Japanese maker, with a seat-meets-leg configuration that evokes a leaf’s gentle connection to its supporting branch.

Gomo by Hugo Passos for Fredericia

A joint effort between the Portuguese-born, London-based designer and the family-owned Danish manufacturer, this upholstered lounge with optional swivel base boasts utterly curvaceous contours.

Apex by John Tree for Hay

The British designer’s enlightening grouping of tabletop and clampable lamps modernizes old-timey banker’s lights by way of mirror-polished bases and tented steel diffusers, in six colors including Luis pink.

Penumbra by David Thulstrup for Georg Jensen

Elliptical designs from the renowned silver specialist’s voluminous archive sparked the Danish architect’s enigmatically geometric centerpiece with rectangular outline and oval interior.

El Raval by George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg for Man of Parts

The Canadian brand introduces Yabu Pushelberg’s oak and blackened-brass bench, with handwoven caning and cushions in nubuck leather, named for the Barcelona neighborhood where cultures intertwine.

This Chic Lounger Pairs Perfectly With a Pool

New York fashion brand Noah, from Brendon Babenzien and Estelle Bailey-Babenzien, makes men’s clothing that channels East Coast nautical style…think Martha’s Vineyard in the summer. It’s a timeless aesthetic that suggests a breezy life of outdoor leisure. That influence is apparent in the label’s five-part capsule collection, including Danish furniture maker Gubi’s MR01 outdoor lounge in four new Noah-curated colors: bold yellow and royal blue plus a more understated navy and gray. All pop on their own, but also play nice when deployed together—say, in a row poolside. The oiled solid-iroko base is strung with rope made from a high-performance waterproof polyester used in speed sailing, a material combo that’s perfect for alfresco applications. Chairs purchased from Gubi’s website come with two beach-ready pieces from the collab: an oversize towel and a tote bag bearing the brand logo which, fortuitously, is a fish.

Joseph Duclos Arrives in Paris With a Timeless Boutique

Paris seems hard-pressed to need another luxury label. Still, the city has welcomed Joseph Duclos, a high-end boutique carrying a 21st-century collection of handbags and accessories with roots dating to the 18th century, when the brand was first established as a leather tannery in Lectoure and received the imprimatur of Louis XV. Today, thanks to company CEO Franck Dahan and artistic director Ramesh Nair collaborating with French designer Tristan Auer, the premier Joseph Duclos has debuted in a 4,300-square-foot environment that’s as chic as its location, steps from the Palais de l’Élysée.

“Since this is the first shop, I did it as a tailor does a suit,” begins Auer, who’s middle name could easily be luxury, having designed yachts and custom cars as well as recently revamped the Carlton Cannes hotel mere months before the annual film festival rolled out the red carpet. “My responsibility was to let people discover it.” Adds Nair, “It’s important that customers understand the technique,” referring to how each bag is handmade by a single artisan.

Behind the Design of the Joseph Duclos Boutique in Paris

Walk Through the Joseph Duclos Boutique 

FROM FRONT:

Thierry Lemaire: Sofa, Table (VIP).
Red Edition: Custom Chair (VIP), Custom Tables (perfume/candle).
living divani: sofa (perfume/candle).

THROUGHOUT:

les marbreries de la seine: marble.
tandem architecture: architect of record.
rdm: general contractor.

Sustainability Spotlight: The Biennale Architettura in Venice

Earlier this year, Interior Design offered an inside look at the 18th Biennale Architettura, in Venice, Italy, rounding up eight must-see installations centered around architectural impact on power structures and social systems. But there’s even more to see. Take a look at these show-stopping pavilions, which spotlight environmental issues and show how designers are paving a more sustainable path forward.

12 Impactful Installations from the 18th Biennale Architettura

Rowland + Broughton

Redefining Beauty is an image of the dry Colorado River Delta by National Geographic photographer Peter McBride on reflective steel panels inside the site’s European Cultural Centre.

Olalekan Jeyifous

For the Nigeria pavilion, ACE/AAP imagines a multimedia departure lounge for a fictional transportation company, a prototypical transport hub for low-impact, zero-emission land, sea, and air travel.

Belgium

In Vivo, curated by Bento Architecture and University of Liège professor Vinciane Despret, presents alternative construction methods using living substances like raw earth and fungi in a contemplative setting.

Kingdom of Bahrain

Sweating Assets is an installation of micro-climates curated by architects Maryam Aljomairi and Latifa Alkhayat that suggests ecological reuse for condensation and examines past, present, and hypothetical future water use in the Kingdom.

Hood Design Studio

Examining the history of basket-making as it relates to a former plantation site in South Carolina, Sweet Grass Walk in the Carlo Scarpa Sculpture Garden features palmetto columns crafted from the same wood used for the mooring poles throughout Venice.

Serge Attukwei Clottey

Time and Chance is the Ghanaian artist’s patchwork tapestry of thousands of squares cut from plastic gallon containers, strung to­gether with wire, and suspended from the Gaggiandre shipyard.

Korea

At the heart of 2086: Together How?, curators Soik Jung and Kyong Park created a game show where audience participants make choices on questions of environmental crises as researched by architects and civic leaders from three small communities in South Korea.

MMA Design Studio

Origins, a video installation by the Johannesburg firm, depicts the hidden ruins of Kweneng, the precolonial capital of the Tswana people occupied from the 15th to 19th centuries.

Norman Foster Foundation and Holcim

Essential Homes Research Project, a prototype for displaced people, is a low-carbon, energy-efficient, semipermanent dwelling made of concrete sheets with a comfortable, light-filled interior.

Ireland

In Search of Hy-Brasil, curated by architects Peter Carroll, Peter Cody, Elizabeth Hatz, Mary Laheen, and Joseph Mackey, represents ecological fieldwork from the country’s remote islands, with local materials in innovative forms, like an abstraction made of sheep’s wool from Sceilg Mhichíl.

Lesley Lokko

The Ghanaian-Scottish architect, novelist, and curator of the Biennale Architettura 2023 created Loom for the entrance of the Central Pavilion. Although not a textile, the construction summarizes the whole show—themed the laboratory of the future—its dozens of crimson components alluding to the ensuing projects and the wire supports metaphorically weaving them altogether.

China

In Renewal: A Symbiotic Narrative, curated by architect Xing Ruan, 50 massive scrolls invite visitors to stroll through and contemplate cities of the future, be they modernist towers, traditional courtyards, a symbiosis of the two, or other possibilities—all with clean energy.

Erwin Wurm Unveils New Works at Yorkshire Sculpture Park