Beijing Design Week Beijing - September 28 to October 3
Beijing, flush with capital amid a development boom, has catapulted into the center of the design world. To celebrate its new status, the city hosted 2011 Beijing Design Week, part of the inaugural Beijing International Design Triennial. Design Week ran from September 28 to October 3, and included talks with architects and developers who have put their stamp not only on the landscape of Beijing, but on contemporary design as a whole. The goal of the talks and exhibitions, as described by Cai Wu, cultural minister for the People’s Republic, was to explore how “culture is the inner core of design, and design is both the manifestation of culture and the enrichment and reflection of culture.” The dialogues among experts, and the exhibition of over 2,000 pieces by more than 500 leading designers, highlighted how the explosion of modern design in China reflects the cultural spirit of the nation and the contemporary era.
Mauro Lipparini was one of the architects called to speak during Design Week at Rizzoli Beijing’s 751 D-Park and Forum B2B. Not only has he worked extensively in Beijing, he also is a pioneer in design advertising. In his talk, he explained the benefits of adding real people and everyday items to furniture ads—images of inviting lifestyles warm up abstract, object-centered landscapes, projecting a democratic vision to which many can aspire. Lipparini also created a special art installation for the Triennial at Domus Tiandi (see photo), a showroom of Italian designer furniture for which he is the art director.
Roche Bobois–50th Anniversary Party Madrid - September 15TH 2011
It was time to say “Happy Birthday” to French furniture brand Roche Bobois, which turned 50 this year. As part of a series of celebrations throughout Europe, the brand held an event at the Madrid residence of the French ambassador to Spain on September 15. Mauro Lipparini and partner Michelle Richter flew in from their home base in Florence to present Lipparini's latest line for the firm, Echoes, commissioned by Roche Bobois this year in honor of the anniversary. Along with Lipparini's work, the group of design world who's-whos in attendance viewed pieces from Roche Bobois's past collaborations, including fashion world luminary Jean-Paul Gaultier’s refreshing refashioning of the iconic Mah Jong sofa created in the 1970s by Hans Hopfer.
BONALDO SHOWROOM OPENING PADOVA - JUNE 9TH 2011
This eye-catching structure captures the identity of the Bonaldo brand: rooted in Italy’s world-class furniture design tradition, while in constant evolution. The undulating surface of the glass blocks yields an entrancing luminescence, both cutting-edge and timeless. The grid arrangement invokes modern rationalism as well as the the ancient Roman road networks, or reticulati, that crisscross the site. The façade is designed to absorb solar energy, and the building has been awarded for its green concept and realization. An interior garden, encased in clear glass panels, separates the work area from the exhibition space, wedding natural vitality to architectural precision.
INSIDE ART MILANO - fONDAZIONE POMODORO
Earlier this year, Lipparini was chosen to display examples of his furniture, manufactured by Saporiti Italia, alongside the work of acclaimed sculptors Arnaldo Pomodoro and Perino & Vele at Milan’s Fondazione Pomodoro. The extended, colorful platforms and irregular geometric shapes of Lipparini’s pieces provided an exquisite, sensitive complement to the surrounding sculpture. Museum visitors were permitted to sit on the furniture so that they could appreciate the artwork in comfort while remaining immersed in a highly aesthetic realm. Perino & Vele’s papier-mâché work in particular, which often involves political and social themes, resonates with several of Lipparini’s pieces, such as a wooden table that alludes to African tribal motifs.
Design For Charity
MILANO - TRIENNALE DESIGN MUSEUM 
As part of the Milan Salone del Mobile 2011, more than 60 designers were asked to interpret and reimagine a chair from a traditional Milanese osteria, or taproom. Demonstrating artists’ commitment to addressing social problems, the proceeds from their diverse, creative responses went to the Associazione Paolo Pini in support of disabled children. The “Design for Charity” chairs were displayed at the Triennale di Milano and then at various art galleries around Italy’s city of design. In Lipparini’s piece, the spilled glass conveys both drunken merriment and chaotic tragedy, specifically the recent Japanese earthquake. The red pool in the middle, created by the spilled wine, represents the sun-disc of Japan’s flag, and the stream over the side of the chair flows across the floor into the shape of the Japanese archipelago.
echoes ROCHE BOBOIS
Featuring raw wood, steel, and glass, this series for the Parisian maison Roche Bobois is seen in a quintessential Brutalist interior in Pavia. The neutral hues lend great versatility to the collection, which encompasses virtually the entire home. Sideboards emerge in an understated, organic fashion from the walls; beneath them, ample storage drawers seemingly float without effort. End tables and chairs employ playful angles without compromising their functional roles. The multipurpose sofas, which extend into platforms for the placement of drinks and other desirables, echo—over distance, time, and structure—the traditional Japanese tatami.
melt BONALDO
Total and immediate relaxation is what this collection offers. As the name implies, you’ll feel like you can literally melt into every piece. Inspired by the unitary mold of compact cars, they suggest a democratic simplicity and freedom. The colorful seats, backs, and armrests can be easily shifted and rearranged according to your every spontaneous whim and inspiration. Various unusual shapes make possible an array of surprising, delightful compositions.
mixte LIGNE ROSET
The Mixte wall system for Ligne Roset takes a leap beyond everyday design. Instead of the professional specialist imposing a preordained style, the client is granted entrée to the artistic process. The various forms and volumes—lowboards, sideboards, chests, benches, shelves—can be arranged to suit both the functional needs and aesthetic penchants of any individual. Your perfect mix is now in your own hands. The simple lines of the pieces play with light and shade, solid and void. The final result, however your imagination arrives at it, is pure geometric elegance.
Park MISURAEMME
With its generous volume and bold, clean lines, the Park bed weds enviable comfort to aesthetic strength. It features an aluminum frame, a tapered polyurethane padded headboard, and upholstered, removable covers available in leather or fabric. You won't soon get tired of parking yourself right here.
BONALDO SALONE INTERNAZIONALE DEL MOBILE DI MILANO 2011
The annual Milan Furniture Fair, which celebrated its 50th edition in 2011, continues to be the most significant event in the realm of international furniture design. The most recent show featured 2,710 exhibitors, up from 2,499 the previous year. Innovative exhibitions abounded, including a treasure hunt for reconstructed scraps of abandoned furniture near Milan’s old walls. Lipparini once again demonstrated his knack for showcasing brand identities. He constructed three booths—for Bonaldo, Potocco-Accademia, and MisuraEmme—each highlighting the respective brands’ signature aesthetic vibes: Bonaldo’s Space Age sensibility, Potocco-Accademia’s natural touch, and MisuraEmme’s cutting-edge materials. Lipparini had the chance to exercise his talent as a painter in the MisuraEmme booth: the large black-and-white canvas, evocative of Franz Kline, is his personal creation.
EATALY'S Birreria NEW YORK CITY- JUNE 3rd 2011
Birreria, the beer lover’s rooftop refuge at the wildly popular Manhattan food court Eataly, opened June 3, 2011. Dogfish Head, one of the three featured craft breweries, partnered with Lipparini, who designed the shields for its beer taps. Cast in a traditional bronze fusion process at a venerable foundry in the Sienese town of Poggibonsi and inscribed with the first names of classic Italian screen sirens like Sofia Loren and Wanda Osiris, the shields bring a rich, truly Mediterranean touch to Birreria. The newly conceived, distinctive brews are endowed with essences synonymous with the bel paese—thyme, rosemary, chestnut. The creative partnership between Lipparini and Dogfish Head’s Sam Calagione has even hit TV’s prime time: Along with his business partner, Michelle Richter, Lipparini appeared in an episode of the Calagione-hosted Discovery Channel series Brew Masters.
CARTIER BOUTIQUE BAKU - azerbaijan
Baku was once a major stopping point on the Silk Road. Camels would take a drink here before trudging on toward China or the Mediterranean. Now, surrounded by significant crude oil reserves, its economy is once again starting to surge, and Lipparini has been among the first contemporary Italian architects to take notice. In the Cartier boutique, he brings his celebrated style to Baku’s age-old cityscape. Glass display cases embedded in the walls are arranged like musical notes on a staff, invoking a dynamic sense of harmony. The interaction of glass, hairline-finish teak veneer in the main salon, and Eramosa marble veined with delicate dove gray, mink, and chestnut tones in the V.I.P. room make for enticing contrasts. The cool yet vibrant setting allows the jewels to stand out and shine, helping customers to navigate among the many brands on display beside Cartier, including Harry Winston, Jaquet Droz, and Girard-Perregaux.
DESIGN DISPLAY DEBATE BARODA - INDIA
At the Surya Palace hotel in Vadodara (Baroda), Lipparini spoke at the D-Cube conference on sustainable architectural design, organized by the Indian Institute of Interior Designers. Talks at the symposium addressed the importance of preserving heritage in the face of development, as well as the issues involved in creating affordable housing in India. In terms of new construction, the discussion addressed the need to build vertically to accommodate the nation’s large and rapidly growing population. Turning to matters of restoration, attention was paid to the value of “listening” carefully to the history of a place and how a structure has been used over time.