issue #44: Exploration: vienna @ vdw24
Vienna Design Week is the perfect opportunity to visit Vienna and be captivated by a combination of fascinating sights and pure experimentation. That’s what we at Caleido did with this exploration: scouring the Austrian capital through design week highlights and doing urban scouting to gather lasting insights.
[0/6] COOL STAYING: HOXTON
We try the new @thehoxtonhotel Vienna, curated by @bwm_architekten within a postwar building (designed by Carl Appel), former home of the Austrian Chambers of Commerce. Rooms that take their cues from 1950s architecture, with an aesthetic that mixes mid-century Austrian design with rich textures, geometric references, and bold furnishings.
[1/6] REVISITED TRADITION: FLORA LECHNER AND LOBMEYR
We begin by visiting the historic headquarters of @lobmeyr (Salesianergasse 9), a traditional Viennese brand specializing in glass. We have the unmissable opportunity to privately visit its workshops, archives and factories. All this before we meet the designer @flora_manon who, in the context of design week, has reinterpreted the classic crystal chandelier, de-constructing and recomposing it thanks to a light structure that moves thanks to external influences, like a gentle breeze, constantly seeking balance. The result is a symbiotic structure with movable arms and counterweights. Artisans can customize the number of crystals, creating unique pieces.
[2/6] ANACHRONISMS: ENGRAVINGS OF KIRSTEN LUBACH
Viennese engraver @Kirsten Lubach and French designer @alexplaintoyoulater, who are passionate about images and typefaces, have collaborated to create a new anachronistic edition of copperplate engravings. This combination combines classic rococo ornaments with insects, typographic decorations and supermarket advertising photos, adding a fascinating new visual universe to the typical floral repertoire of engraving. The result is a natural paradise, rich in detail, representing a synthesis of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary design while preserving the legacy of this ancient art.
[3/6] DAILY EXTRAORDINAIRE: DESIGN EVERYDAY
While we are surrounded by an increasingly impenetrable world of products that makes it difficult to recognize the qualities of good design, the eighth edition of Design Everyday – a stable design week format curated by @vandasye (click here to read the interview) – offers a look at contemporary Austrian design, showing how criteria such as function, aesthetics, tactility and sustainability are constantly being rethought and optimized. Design Everyday was also “exploded” into an exhibition at @mak_vienna, “AUT NOW: 100 × Austrian Design for the 21st Century” which offers an overview of the variety and innovation of Austrian design over the past 25 years through a selection of 100 objects. The exhibition explores designers’ creative decisions and their impact on users, society, and the environment, emphasizing the importance of criteria such as inclusiveness, ergonomics, sustainability, and resource conservation. Contemporary design goes beyond classical form and function, addressing social challenges, promoting modern production techniques and anticipating future needs.
[4/6] TRASH OR NOT: FOKUS
What defines an object as trash? In the third edition of the group exhibition Fokus, curators @anton_rahlwes and @ninasieverding selected design objects that explore the aesthetic concept of “trash,” addressing issues such as recycling and circular economy or experimenting with biodegradable materials. The concept of trash varies between abstract style and concrete materiality, being able to be vulgar, ironic, but also sophisticated. What looks like trash at first glance can turn out to be a resource waiting to be reused. The exhibition offers space for sculptural, experimental and conceptual interpretations of design.
[5/6] RECYCLED MATERIALS, READY-TO-USE: BIOFABRIQUE
Biofabrique Vienna is a materials innovation pilot project based on @atelier_luma‘s bio-regional design approach. The goal of the program is to identify and promote radical alternatives to the current range of building materials produced, shipped, and used in construction processes worldwide. By taking a close look at existing raw materials, industrial by-products and waste streams, the goal is to reconnect local resources and knowledge in an exemplary way in a circular and thus sustainable process. During the Klima Biennale Wien, in a 100-day process, new materials for architecture and design were developed using underutilized urban resources. A co-creative process, with input from students, mentors and international experts, accelerated the development.
[6/6] EXTRA: SCOUTING AROUND VIENNA
To complete the Viennese experience, here is a list of must-see places we have selected, for a design-lover’s day.
Breakfast at @calienna (Neubaugasse 68): a beautifully curated concept store, including florist, botanical book corner, store, café and gallery. Also visit the neighboring streets (Siebensterngasse), filled with small research stores, ateliers and antiques.
Visit the @mak_vienna (Stubenring 5) with a permanent collection not to be missed by design enthusiasts. The MAK houses an unprecedented collection of applied arts, design, architecture and contemporary art that has developed over 150 years.
Lunch at @cafeprueckel (across the street at 24 Stubenring): the classic Viennese café offering local and international newspapers, local cuisine, and homemade pastries. Just the right amount of Viennese tradition.
Afternoon appointment with @stephanwiesinger at his eponymous store (@wiesinger.furniture) in Bandgasse 19. A store (accessible by appointment only) of used furniture with a selection of great value, personally researched and restored by him.
From here we move on to @palmenhausbrasserie, a former palm tree greenhouse, now a restaurant and cocktail bar, overlooking a charming monumental park.
