CIRCULAR TERRAZZO by Chryssa Kotoula

Chryssa Kotoula is a visual artist, designer and maker who produces ceramic vessels in which materiality and craftsmanship are the protagonists. Her work finds inspiration in research, vernacular architecture and circular processes. One example is the Circular Terrazzo collection (that uses the circular terrazzo invented by Kotoula) created through a manual process rooted in craft techniques and archaeology.

The art of glazing poses particular difficulties in terms of recycling and environmental impact: ceramic glaze waste, often infused with glass components, contribute to various forms of pollution, including the release of chemical and toxic contaminants into the soil. Terrazzo, traditionally a flooring material characterised by the arrangement of marble or stone chips within a cement mixture, has therefore been revisited: in this case, traditional materials are replaced by glaze waste.

In the first phase of the research, the artist undertakes the creation of a series of handmade tiles. Subsequently, through an exploration of aesthetics, the end result is a collection of unique vessels in which the recovery of waste material is visible, layer by layer. With a reverse approach to archaeology, each piece is meticulously crafted to resemble ancient artefacts. The final objects consider waste as a new resource and are an example of a circular approach in which history and the present are linked with a sense of continuity: the works become a clear reference to ancient techniques, revisited in a contemporary key.

The collection Circular Terrazzo was selected for the Officine Saffi Foundation Biennial Prize and the European Ceramic Context 2024 in Bornholm, Copenhagen; the project is also part of the new, free Materials Design Map. To find out more visit Chryssa Kotoula’s website and follow her on Instagram! Photo courtesy

Super Local is a Dutch design studio that collaborates with local communities to solve problems and design new solutions. “90% of the world population is lacking the financial capacity for traditional design, but does have a need for well-designed products and insightful solution. We are passionate problem solvers, story tellers and fixers and our human-centered approach is hands-on and based on collaboration with local communities, organizations and partners.”

Together with Zanzibari craftspeople, Super Local has recently created a selection of furniture objects using terrazzo created from discarded glass. This project was inspired by a trip to Zanzibar — an island off the east coast of Africa — that Super Local visited back in 2015. The lack of recycling opportunities and the huge amount of glass waste led Super Local designers, Luc van Hoeckel and Pim van Baarsen, to a creative solution. Teaming up with local makers, the pair began making products using glass bottles collected from hotels. The second step of this recycling initiative is titled “Trending Terrazzo”, a collection of homewares available to buy locally in Zanzibar.

All images © Jeroen van der Wielen and Super Local

J. MAYER H. und Partner, Architekten mbB is an international award winning architecture office with projects at the intersection of architecture, communication, and new technology. From urban planning schemes and buildings, to installation work and objects with new materials, the relationship between the human body, technology, and nature form the background for a new production of space. J.MAYER.H was founded in 1996 by Juergen Mayer H. in Berlin. In January 2014, Andre Santer and Hans Schneider joined as partners in the firm.

One of their project is Casa Morgana, which is like “an abstract volumetric study for a potential building and seems to have fallen out of context.” Surrounding nature simulates a subtropical oasis and locates the residential sculpture between optical disturbance and atmospheric displacement. The three-story building consists of several differently sized cubes placed at staggered levels on top of one another, connected by a central stairway. The existing building from 1972 and its annexes from 1991 were reduced to their shells and then retaken with targeted interventions: not as a “cosmetic make-over”, but as a location that distils and continues the archaic and brutalist aesthetic from the time of the building’s origin.

Staggered floors and different room heights create vertical links and sequences of rooms. Separating elements between the individual areas are formed as poché spaces and take up different functions. The mirrored walls reflect the exposed concrete, the terrazzo installations appear like cuts through the concrete walls and expose the inner structure of the material. The roughly improved already existing concrete walls also create a hybrid of reduction and projection. The large glass pivoting doors opens the entire living area into an oasis of bamboo, tree trunks, palms and mushrooms designed by the artist Tita Giese.

Visit J. MAYER H. to know more about Casa Morgana!
Photography by David Franck

Within the different collections of: Permanent, Studio, St. Pauls and the recent Study Collection, Frama Studio operates in various creative fields and directions. Besides offering the variety of the different collections, the Frama practice offers complete interior management and develops site-specific design solutions.

Yaffa is one of these, a minimalist restaurant interior located in Copenhagen, Denmark, designed by Frama. In close collaboration with its commissioners, the mediterranean restaurant has been transformed from a concrete basement into a warm, inviting and relaxed eatery. A combination of different types of seating allows for the division of spaces within the irregular plan which allows for large parties, individual guests, and more intimate dinners.

The interior elements provide a fresh take on traditional materials such as custom mixed terrazzo, traditional tiling, sandblasted marble and douglas fir wood. Fitting along with this twist on the tradition, be-spoke opal glass globes in varying sizes dot the ceiling, and custom design stainless steel sconces contrast to vintage glass compose the wall lighting. The restaurant’s centerpiece is the bar counter. Assembled by individually shaped micro-cement pieces, each have been painted with custom mixed colors; making of a muted color palette is resemblant to the terrazzo blend customized for the space.

Photography by Sergio López

Frama Studio operates in various creative fields and directions from furniture, lighting, apothecary, books, apparel and kitchens. They all have in common that they focus on natural materials, simple geometry and a general appreciation of permanency.

The Stable House is one of a few preserved villas in Copenhagen. The building originally functioned as stables for the horses that carried water from the lakes, and the protected facade was created in 1878 by Georg Møller. Frama Studio has completed the residential project, with a series of stylish details included pivoting brass shutters, a terrazzo floor and a custom-made bed wrapped in solid Douglas fir. The result is a light, warm yet minimalistic feel where every detail of the custom-made furnishings and interior has been thought through.

Year: 2019
Client: Private
Location: Copenhagen
Services: Interior Architecture
Photographs: Erik Lefvander

Arii Irie Architects is a Tokyo-based design practice for architecture and urbanism founded in 2015 by Atsuo Arii and Kako Irie. The studio seeks innovative contextual approaches in projects ranging from single-family housing to installations, public buildings and urban spaces. One of their latest project is Nagasawa Coffee, a minimalist coffee shop located in Iwate, Japan.

The owners decided to move their shop to a larger space to fit in their new 1960s vintage roaster. Their vision of the new shop was an open workshop space, and Arii Irie Architects decided to provide it with a 6×1.5 meters terrazzo table: it is intended as both a table to sit at and an active tabletop where unroasted, roasted, and packaged beans are placed altogether, showcasing the live sequence of the roasting process.

The height of the table is low, contrasting with the high ceiling, to force the customers to look down. As a result, the proportion of the table gives the idea of a podium or stage, or a runway. The interior spaces are characterized by the use of several materials which come together in harmony with the Nagasawa Coffee mood.

Photography by Kai Nakamura

South Korean industrial designer Do Kyoung Lee has created Stripe, a hard drive finished with a soft, flexible exterior, a solution that not only protects the design, but also protects against shocks in material and detail.

Encased in pliant rubber, this portable hard drive is designed to survive the knocks and drops of daily life. Designed in a range of terrazzo finishes, the one terabyte drive is a fashionable technological piece for the clumsy or design-oriented computer user.

Apartment Mesarska is a minimalist apartment located in Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed by Arhitekti Počivašek Petranovič, architecture practice founded by Davorin Počivašek and Urban Petranovič in Ljubljana, in 2017.

The aim of the project was to convert a “standard” degraded apartment into a contemporary home for a young couple with a dog and lots of plants. With a glazed facade, the corner apartment offers natural light and a nice view towards the green surroundings. The living area is divided in two parts – the first one includes the kitchen counter with a dining table, and it represents the center of the apartment, where most of the social interactions occur. The second part is a more intimate and shaded area suitable for resting, reading books or watching TV. The kitchen is bright, the materials used are bleached birch wood and stainless steel. The other part uses, in contrast, velvet in warm rich colors, that emphasize the feeling of home and comfort. The floor of the living area is made of “on site” cast terrazzo with a colorful and bright pattern, modern and fresh.

The bedrooms have parquet floor, which increase the sense of warmth and domesticity. The “standard” housing bathroom is completely renovated with custom made terrazzo washbasin with a large mirror, smooth walls and a shower instead of a bathtub.

via leibal

Studio Brasch provides visionary brands an opportunity for expressing their values, services, and products, through impactful imagery and forward-thinking moving images. WeVux already talked about the Stockholm-based firm and his Director Anders Brasch-Willumsen for Rocks and Light.

A Lucid Dream in Pink, Sleep Cycle No 17 is one of their projects, a collection of hyperreal renderings inspired by lucid dreams. A lucid dream is a particular type of dream in which the dreamer becomes aware of both the waking world and the dream that he’s part of. When this happens, the dreamer may gain some control over the narrative, characters, and environment of the dream. In this project, we can see the kind of dream that Brasch-Willumsen may have had, where, by lucid involvement, he altered elements of his dreamscape to suit his aesthetic desires.

Design graduate Florian Wegenast has created a range of furniture that incorporates plant holders, as a way of maximizing green space in tight urban environments. He began his Open Garden series while studying at London’s Central Saint Martins, but presented the project’s latest developments during this year’s Dutch Design Week. The whole collection includes stools, benches and tables that store plants.

The two newest pieces in the collection are made from terrazzo and plywood – a combination Wegenast picked to make the furniture more water resistant. A simple stool is formed by two plywood sheets, which slot together and are topped with a terrazzo seat. An accompanying terrazzo plant pot has grooves cut into the underneath so it can be fitted onto the wooden base. All pieces can be assembled without the need for any nails, adhesive or separate attachments. The designer also created an app, which uses open-source design to help individuals create physical gardens and features a geotagging network to help connect communities of green-fingered enthusiasts.

(via dezeen)

Anna Horvath is the founder of annajames, a freelance illustrator and narrative designer creating works in various disciplines of the visual arts, counting also exhibition, installation, and furniture design as her areas of expertise.

After its introduction in the Paris Design Week, Collezione L!PUFF had been also showcased in the Budapest Design Week. The collection is inspired by minimalism and postmodern design, each piece is hand-crafted and truly unique, made using a combination of metal, textile and terrazzo. Sprinkles of colourful glass decorates the white cement base. All the raw materials are locally sourced in Hungary. Through this project Anna was able to work within different creative fields, bringing her illustrations and visual imagery into the three dimension. Her vibrant designs creates a balance in textures, colours and geometrical forms.

Photo:

Espacio Nueva Carolina is a 450sqm multidisciplinary hub in Madrid, designed by Sara Uriarte from Cordero Atelier, an interior design studio that believes in the union of creativity and functionality.

The interior is inspired by 1950s Beverly Hills hotels and Miami Art Deco, alongside co-working and events spaces, it offers a photography studio, kitchen and meeting rooms, creating a functional hub for the creative community. The Nueva Carolina features furnishings of pink velvet and rattan, walls and flooring in terrazzo, chairs designed by Marcel Breuer and plenty of green house plants. Uriarte has infused classic design elements into a contemporary concept of flexible, round-the-clock productivity, creating a sophisticated, inspiring environment for both living and working.