Canadians crow about the Lee-Chin Crystal

And crow they should as on the 2 June they unveiled the completed ROM crystal extension by architect Daniel Libeskind. In an earlier post I had a small offering of images I had taken of the construction one year ago. Today we can take a birds eye view of the completed building (rather near completed) through Toronoist who was first to walk through the near finished interior.

The spaces are so angular and unique the CEO of the ROM felt a specially designed chair was required for the Museum. Daniel Libeskind and Toronto furniture designer Klaus Nienkämper have unveiled a new limited edition, custom built piece of furniture entitled the Spirit House Chair, inspired by the architectural peaks and facades of Libeskind’s Lee-Chin Crystal.

A little history for your entertainment

The Royal Ontario Museum was opened in March of 1914 and is aagency of the Province of Ontario, operated by the University oToronto until 1955. Canada’s largest museum and the fifth largest iNorth America, the ROM boasts more than six million objects in it collection. Wide-eyed children may tell you that the museum ihaunted by the nightshirt-wearing ghost of its first curator, archaeologis Charles Trick Currelly.

In the summer of 2001, the ROM launched an international search for an architect to expand and renovate the site as part of the Renaissance ROM project. About three months later and with 50 entrants, twelve international architects were chosen to pitch, narrowing down to three by December (Italy’s Andrea Bruno, Polish-born American Daniel Libeskind and Chinese-Canadian Bing Thom). In February, Daniel Libeskind was awarded the Lead Architect position for the ROM’s expansion, which would be based on a deconstructionist crystal-like design he sketched on a napkin during a family wedding at the ROM. Perhaps in a bit of romantic embellishment, Libeskind claimed the idea was inspired by the Museum’s gem and mineral collection, though the multifaceted design has already been seen in many of his other structures like the Denver Art Museum and Hong Kong’s Creative Media Centre.

Some wonderful images of the exterior via coolhunter

Interview with Daniel Libeskind
more images via coolhunter
Renaissance ROM project
ROM launch and celebrations
Torontoist photo round-up

 

Simon MacEwan: lost in the woods

These delicate stenciled pieces by Simon MacEwan via modamuse are exceptionally beautiful and deserve some attention. There has been an almost endless variety of stenciled work in recent times however these for me stand out. I hope you think so as well.

Check out his flickr album.

Elke Kramer

Vogue gives a comprehensive profile on Elke

Elke Kramer is a Sydney-based jewellery designer, illustrator, graphic designer, art director and devoted flower picker. Her love of all things peculiar lends itself to her curious, decorative and elaborate creative work. Working across a multitude of mediums, such as fashion textiles, website art-direction, magazine illustration and much more, always evident is her distinctive bizarre, marvelous and self-indulgent touch.

Fascinated and inspired by psychedelic folk music, the textiles of Zandra Rhodes, orchids, Yayoi Kusama, jellyfish, Bakelite kitchenware, ocean swims and her boyfriend’s colossal porcelain animal collection, her jewellery is a passionate, amalgamated combustion and celebration of everything curious and mistaken. Seen around the necks of Fafi, Karen O, Chiaki Kuriyama and quirky hipsters around the world, her unique creations have been best described as “something that’s completely unlike anything else you have ever seen before.”

The “Anti-Curse of Greyface” is a collection of limited edition wooden necklaces, pendants and earrings by Elke Kramer. The inspiration comes from a celebration of chaos and nonsense and is designed to oppose the teachings of Greyface, who is 1166BC, taught that all humans must live life in an orderly, serious manner and that play was sin. The overtly nonsensical, frivolous shapes of the collection counteract the curse and rejoice in delighted ridiculousness. Though completely abstract in form the pieces are vaguely reminiscent of insect forms, Aztec motifs and clockwork mechanics.

Image Via Modamuse

More hope for emergent designers

are a creatively supported environment for young talented designers to
promote and expose their talents through different mediums.

Hope Street Markets is a collaboration of young designers in:+ clothing

• + accessories
• + jewellery
• + object design
• + art

Adopting the concept of your local community markets, the Hope Street Marketsare to support more art based product than general “bric’a’brac”. It takes exhibitions, fashion parades and art shows to the next level.

The markets are based in Surry Hills in the heart of Sydney, and they will continue to commence at the start of every fresh season and run over 2 days.

Winter has already been launched but stay tuned for coming seasons.

Hope Street is a non-profit organisation. We will be donating money from the markets to help support Hope Street - Urban Compassion projects helping bring Hope to the streets of Sydney’s homeless.

applications for Spring markets will open in August. For updates subscribe here

View list of designers represented at the Winter market here