Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Paperwork

























If you have been following our work at Harry Allen Design, this might feel like déjà vu. We started making these paper lamps in the studio back in 2005 and subsequently tried to manufacture them in China. The project stalled, and it was not until Kenneth Cobonpue and his talented team at Hive took over the project that they came to fruition. Together, we basically invented a manufacturing technique.

Our Paperwork lighting for Hive speaks of the past, present, and future. The production technique is an innovative take on age-old papier-mâché, at the forms are lifted from traditional lamps. However, the molded-lamps have a very contemporary feel and they are lit by cutting-edge LED technology - an environmentally-friendly combination that will serve for years to come.

The lamps fall into Harry Allen's REALITY series, which consists of objects whose form is "sampled: from existing sources. Harry has never been attracted to overly-formal design. His design process emphasizes the inherent beauty of things - from beauty from concept, beauty from materials, and beauty from structure- REALITY takes his quest one step further and borrows forms from the world around us.

Paperwork will preview March 22-25 at the
Architectural Digest Home Show: Kenneth Cobonpue, booth #327.
Pier 95, 55th Street at 12th Avenue, New York City

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

David Rockefeller Award for MoMA




















The David Rockefeller Award is presented annually by Museum of Modern Art to an individual from the business community who exemplifies enlightened generosity and effective advocacy of cultural and civic endeavors. The award is named for the Museum's honorary chairman, and early advocate of and successful pioneer in developing strong and enduring links between the corporate community and cultural organizations

We were asked by MoMA to re-imagine the David Rockefeller Award,. We figured the best way to honor these individuals was with MoMA itself. MoMA is a great example of philanthropy, and the great things that come of corporate giving, so we used it very literally as the decoration on the award. A little model of MoMA, rendered in an interpretive variety of materials sits on top of a cement base. It's our way of saying, thanks to the people who build, house, and preserve our culture.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Design Threat

HAD is participating in the AmDC show, THREAT, 3/9.


For this show, centered around the theme of Threat, we were asked to customize a baseball bat. Our baseball bat design is smart and gorgeous, if we do say so ourselves. Play the "Name that Bat" contest for a chance to win a bat and support the American Design Club! Please join us. 

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Design Chicago

I spent last weekend in Chicago judging two competitions for the IIDA.


It was a very distinguished and fun panel of judges:


Around the table from left to right are Architect Michael Green (juror) of Vancouver, Interior Designer Gino Castano (juror) of San Francisco, Dennis Krause and Cheryl Durst who run the IIDA, smiley Me (juror), and Architect Dina Griffin (juror) from Chicago.

A couple of us had drinks at Ian Schragger's latest venture in Chicago, the Public Hotel, which sports a very restrained, elegant, Yabu Pushelberg interior. The leafed vault behind the bar in the Pump Room is amazing ...


as are the raw fiberglass globes over the tables. Sorry, this pic was taken in the dark after a few drinks ... sort of atmospheric, no?


 The results of the competition can be seen here: http://www.iida.org/content.cfm/competition-news