With shorter and colder days, it hard to find colour in Amsterdam at this time of year. In protest, we´ve gone back to select this year´s most vibrant projects. As one of the essential tools in a designer´s lexicon, colour communicates mood and intention. When consciously combined with material, it references context but also the latest aesthetic and social trends. Here is Frame's top 10 selection.
1. Turkish Red by Studio Formafantasma
Digging through the archives at Tilburg´s TextielMuseum, Formafantasma came across Turkish red– an ink with a long international history. The duo printed a series of referential textiles.
Jo Nagaska debuted a series of udukuri experiments at Spazio Rossana Orlandi during this year´s Fuori Salone. Different layers of colour were applied to wood and then scraped off.
3. Contrast by Julien Carretero
Exploring the limits of bronze, copper, brass, aluminium, carbon fibber and stainless steel, Julien Carretero highlighted the concave and convex surfaces of these new lamps with bright tones.
4. Coloured Pencil Tables by Nendo
Inspired by the spectrum available in a coloured pencil kit, Nendo also employ the udukuri technique. The table collection was presented at this year’s Saint-Etienne Design Biennale.
Developed for Jean Nouvel’s Office for Living project, Ron Arab designed this window frame workstation that changes colours with pulses of electricity.
6. Zoff Eyewear Store by Emmanuelle Moureaux
Known for her use of colour spectrums, French architect Emmanuelle Morueaux designed this Japanese eyewear store with display shelves – pockets of colour within a white-cube.
Aimed at reviving Lelystad’s city centre, Un Studio developed both the interior and exterior of this theatre with bright planes. Pastel strips bring visitors up its stairwell.
8. Conarte Library by Anagrama
An old Mexican steel mill was transformed into a playful library. Structural elements and book shelves were painted in neon colours.
9. Shelter Island House by Stemberg Aferiat
As a vibrant play on Miles van der Rohe’s modernist architecture, this Long Island home was built with undulating roofs. Painted in yellow, they contrast with metallic and orange facades.
10. Danish Chromatism by GamFratesi
Italo-Danish design dou GamFratesi categorised iconic Danish designs with bold red, yellow, white and black. Their exhibition during this year’s Fouri Salone followed the same classification.
