Showing posts with label italy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label italy. Show all posts

2/27/15

trends | geometric patterns | gio ponti

i keep noticing geometric patterns that remind me of the blue and white ceramic tile that italian architect *gio ponti (1891-1979) designed for the parco dei prinicipi hotel in sorrento, italy.


hall | parco dei principi hotel | sorrento, italy
gio ponti | laurel pattern blue and white ceramic tile | 1962
photo credits royal group and dwell


 bar | parco dei principi hotel | sorrento, italy
gio ponti | starburst pattern blue and white ceramic tile | 1962
photo credits royal group and dwell

the parco dei principi hotel, which opened in 1962, is considered one of gio ponti's  masterpieces.  the hotel was restored from 1999-2004, and is now a listed building.

gio ponti designed not only the architecture, but also the interiors of the 96 room hotel.  so, the parco dei principi could be considered a mid-century modern precursor of 21st century design hotels.

for the interiors, which have a blue and white design scheme, ponti designed 30 patterns of 20 x 20 cm (7.87 x 7.87 in) ceramic tile.  the maiolica tile, which was originally manufactured by d'agostino in salerno, italy, has now been re-issued by la riggiola.


by rotating the tiles, ponti created four different patterns from this design
photo credits royal group and dwell


junior suite | parco dei principi hotel | sorrento, italy
gio ponti | pinwheel pattern blue and white ceramic tile | 1962
photo credits royal group and dwell

'shortlist' | world of interiors magazine | march 2015 | page 45
rockman & rockman | cube 6 side table
photo credits world of interiors



rockman & rockman | cube 1, cube 6, and cube 7 side tables
photo credits rockman & rockman

prada | fall/winter 2015 fashion show
photo credit the sartorialist


classic room | parco dei principi hotel | sorrento, italy
gio ponti | tetrahedron pattern blue and white ceramic tile | 1962
photo credits royal group and dwell

'antennae roundup' | world of interiors magazine | march 2015 | page 19
beija flor | tetrahedron pattern printed vinyl PVC floor covering
photo credits world of interiors
 
 alexandra champalimaud for the rug company | gaelic yellow and gaelic brown rugs
inspired by carved stones found while traveling in india
photo credits the rug company and the rug company

 


pentreath & hall | tetrahedron pattern wrapping paper
based on stone floor and marble patterns by 18th century designer, batty langley
photo credits pentreath & hall


dining room | parco dei principi hotel | sorrento, italy
gio ponti | losenge pattern blue and white ceramic tile | 1962
photo credits j p moser and dwell



christian louboutin | sole print panettone wallets
photo credits christian louboutin

deluxe sea view room | parco dei principi hotel | sorrento, italy
gio ponti | circular pattern blue and white ceramic tile | 1962
photo credit royal group

'all-star lineup' | elle decor magazine | march 2015 | page 134
amethyst artisan | eclipse cement tile
photo credits elle decor and martyn thompson

 

amethyst artisan | eclipse cement tile
photo credits amethyst artisan

my husband, bob, and i stayed at the parco dei principi hotel when we visited the amalfi coast.  like the interiors and the architecture, the location is spectacular!  

the hotel is built on a cliff, overlooking the bay of naples.  


parco dei principi hotel | sorrento, italy
rendering | parco dei principi hotel | sorrento, italy
photo credits royal group

the beach, where we relaxed every evening before dinner, is located at the bottom of the cliff.

beach | parco dei principi hotel | sorrento, italy
photo credit royal group

'blue sky,
blue sea,
blue islands,
blue maiolicas...'
-gio ponti
 
*giovanni (gio) ponti (1891-1979)
italian architect gio ponti could be considered one of the most influential 20th century designers.  his most famous building is probably the pirelli tower in milan, italy. 

 gio ponti | pirelli tower | milan, italy | 1958
photo credit gioponti.com

gio ponti was also an industrial designer.  he designed porcelain for richard ginori, lighting for artemide, fontana arte, and venini, as well as furniture for domus nova.  the superleggera chair no. 699, produced by cassina since 1957, is probably his most famous furniture design. 

gio ponti | superleggera chair no. 699 | parco dei principi hotel | sorrento, italy
photo credit dwell 

ponti, who established domus architecture, art, and design magazine, was also a writer, an editor, and a publisher.

cover | domus magazine | january 1931
photo credit gio ponti archives
Pin It

3/25/13

art | candida höfer

do candida höfer's photographs make you want to travel?

they make me want to explore europe, even though i just got back from london, where candida höfer: a return to italy is showing at ben brown fine arts from 12 february-12 april 2013.

you may recognize candida höfer's photographs from one of your favorite american lifestyle or shelter magazines, such as town and country, elle decor, or veranda
 
1 2

3 4

1 candida höfer photograph | cosima von bulow pavoncelli's living room | sagoponak NY
interior design by markham roberts | photo credit francesco lagnese | town and country | november 2010 
2 candida höfer photograph | frederic fekkai's living room | new york NY
interior design by robert couturier | photo credit william abranowicz | elle decor | october 2010
3 candida höfer photograph | jill stuart's living room | new york NY
design by anabelle selldorf | photo credit simon upton | elle decor | october 2009
4 candida höfer photograph | entry of a carnegie hill townhouse | new york NY 
interior design by timothy whealon | photo credit max kim-bee | veranda | october 2010

höfer's photographs are interior portraits of public buildings.

'i wanted to capture how people behave in public buildings, 
so I started taking photographs of theatres, palaces, opera houses, libraries...

after some time, it became apparent to me that what people do in these spaces–and what these spaces do to them–is clearer when no one is present...' 

-candida höfer

höfer's photographs of uninhabited interiors have become her hallmark.

in an interview with the guardian, she described teatro scientifico bibiena mantova I as her 'best shot' in the london exhibition.

candida höfer | teatro scientifico bibiena mantova I | 2010 | lightjet print | edition of 6
photo courtesy of ben brown fine arts

'i like this shot because it has an intriguing ambiguity of scale: 
the theatre appears large yet somehow small; 
and it is perfectly formed of grand individual structures. 

this is not a shot about emotion.
it's about colour, lines, light distribution–and inner balance.' 

-candida höfer 

höfer doesn't alter or digitally enhance her photographs.  instead, she uses existing light sources and long exposures to capture the details.

candida höfer | teatro scientifico bibiena mantova III | 2010 | lightjet print | edition of 6
photo courtesy of ben brown fine arts

she often shoots her interior portraits from a one point perspective.  this composition, which is another one of her hallmarks, creates continuity within and between each portrait series.

in addition to the compositional continuity, each series also has an institutional or a geographical theme.  the london exhibition is a grand tour of northern italian architecture... 

mantova... 

candida höfer | palazzo ducale mantova III | 2011 | c print | edition of 6
photo courtesy of ben brown fine arts


candida höfer | palazzo ducale mantova I | 2011 | lightjet print | edition of 6
photo courtesy of ben brown fine arts


candida höfer | palazzo ducale mantova IV | 2011 | lightjet print | edition of 6
photo courtesy of ben brown fine arts

candida höfer | palazzo ducale mantova V | 2011 | lightjet print | edition of 6
photo courtesy of ben brown fine arts

candida höfer | biblioteca teresiana mantova I | 2010 | lightjet print | edition of 6
photo courtesy of ben brown fine arts


candida höfer | museo civico di palazzo te mantova IV | 2010 | lightjet print | edition of 6
photo courtesy of ben brown fine arts 

vicenza...
candida höfer | teatro olimpico vicenza I | 2010 | lightjet print | edition of 6
photo courtesy of ben brown fine arts

candida höfer | teatro olimpico vicenza II | 2010 | lightjet print | edition of 6
photo courtesy of ben brown fine arts


candida höfer | teatro olimpico vicenza III | 2010 | lightjet print | edition of 6
photo courtesy of ben brown fine arts

sabbioneta...





candida höfer | teatro all'antica sabbioneta I | 2010 | lightjet print | edition of 6
photo courtesy of ben brown fine arts


candida höfer | galleria degli antichi sabbioneta I | 2010 | lightjet print | edition of 6
photo courtesy of ben brown fine arts

carpi...
candida höfer | teatro comunale di carpi III | 2011 | lightjet print | edition of 6
photo courtesy of ben brown fine arts

candida höfer | teatro comunale di carpi I | 2011 | lightjet print | edition of 6
photo courtesy of ben brown fine arts

venezia...
candida höfer | teatro la fenice di venezia V | 2011 | c print | edition of 6
photo courtesy of ben brown fine arts

candida höfer | teatro la fenice di venezia III | 2011 | c print | edition of 6
photo courtesy of ben brown fine arts

wouldn't you love to take a grand tour of northern italy? 

especially, the palladian villas of the veneto?
Pin It