To Our Friends: DWR Status Update

[FROM LEFT| DWR COO John McPhee, Vice President, Institutional Relations, AmeriCares Diana Maguire and DWR CEO John Edelman]

Friends of DWR,

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, we hope that this message finds you and your families safe. Our hearts and thoughts are with you. To do a small part to help those in need, DWR has made a $25,000 donation to Americares (www.americares.com). The Stamford-based nonprofit organization has already deployed mobile medical units, bottled water and relief supplies to millions of individuals and families in need. Visit AmeriCares.com to find out how you can help. 

These last few days have been trying and stressful. Working every day alongside people who share your passion creates a great community and wonderful friendships, and we’d like to express how blessed and thankful we are that all DWR employees throughout the Northeast have safely made it through the storm.

Like those of many other businesses, our facilities and our delivery partners have suffered physical damage and power outages. We are working hard to get everything up and running by Thursday, November 1 – power supply willing. We apologize for any inconvenience, and we ask for your patience while we sort through our backlog.

Remembering John M. Johansen.

Photo courtesy of johnmjohansen.com

The masterful architect and last surviving member of the Harvard Five passed away yesterday at the age of 96. Earlier this week, we wrote about Johansen's Goodyear House, which is for sale in Darien, Conn. The passionate comments and hundreds of facebook "likes" we received on this post were heartwarming and a testament to the power of great design. Johansen's work, while at times controversial, is outstanding for its bravery and intelligence. We thank Mr. Johansen for sharing his vision with the world. Our thoughts are with his family as we remember this extraordinary man. You can read more about him in today's New York Times.

Cheers to Charlotte, born on this day in 1903.

Charlotte Perriand with Le Corbusier (right) and Pierre Jeanneret at the rue de Sevres studio in Paris. Image courtesy of Design Museum.

Charlotte Perriand was born on this day in 1903. The French architect and designer would go on to become one of the pioneering forces in modern design, collaborating with Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Jean Prouve on furniture, interiors and exhibitions. “Design is about responding to the gestures of the human being,” said Perriand, who believed that better design helps create a better society.

Charlotte Perriand on the Chaise Longue (1928), which she designed with Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret. Image courtesy of Design Museum.

D'oh!

I realize that I'm three years late with this "OMG" but did you know that Homer Simpson visited the Stahl House in the 2009 season premier of The Simpsons? The episode centers around Homer being cast as a superhero in a Hollywood movie, which is how he ends up at this iconic Los Angeles house, also known as Case Study House #22, designed by Pierre Koenig.

For sale: the Goodyear House by John M. Johansen.

The only surviving member of the Harvard Five, architect John Johansen settled in Connecticut in the 1940s, along with Marcel Breuer, Landis Gores, Philip Johnson and Eliot Noyes. Drawn to the New Canaan area for its open landscape, the men experimented with new materials and construction methods as well as open floor plans and indoor-outdoor living. The homes they built for themselves and their clients attracted other architects to the area, which resulted in more than 80 modern houses being built over the next two decades.

Just in: Kaleido, Les Perles and Gregor.

Kaleido trays

Our new product launches include colorful trays, playful candlesticks and a calendar that unravels (a visual reminder that time is swift). We also have cozy wool throws and an LED lamp with built-in USB port. Check out what’s new at dwr.com.

Les Perles candlesticks

Sitting is believing.

Alan Heller knows design innovation, and his collaborations with Frank Gehry, Massimo Vignelli and Mario Bellini have resulted in some of the most recognizable chairs and accessories. With his patented ErgoErgo, he has created a benefit-rich seating solution for the modern-minded. More stable than an exercise ball, ErgoErgo allows you to rock gently in any direction (building strength and flexibility in the process) but it doesn’t deflate, roll away or collect detritus like hair or dust off the floor. Studies have shown that making small movements while seated will stimulate circulation, send oxygen to the brain and improve concentration, all of which make the ErgoErgo a win-win.

P.S. I wrote this post while sitting on an ErgoErgo. It rocks! (no pun intended)

Craving culture? Exhibitions to see now.

The Rain Room in London. Photo by Oli Scarf/Getty Images

Here are just a few exhibitions happening around the country. From powerful women in Seattle to a celebration of George Nelson at Yale to controlling the rain in London, there is richness to enjoy everywhere.

WASHINGTON

Seattle Art Museum
Women Take Over, Elles: Women Artists from Centre Pompidou, Paris 

CONNECTICUT

Yale School of Architecture
George Nelson: Architect, Writer, Designer, Teacher - Opens Nov. 8

LONDON

The Curve
Random International: Rain Room 

A 2.4-mile first class trip taken by an airport terminal.

When you see the circular staircase and wavy ceiling in the former Copenhagen airport terminal, it seems impossible to pick up and move such a structure. And yet, that’s exactly what was done to preserve this stunning building.

The corrugated ceiling is the original from 1939. It is made of perforated wood fiberboard adhered to cement.

For two nights in September 1999, the building was transported across the airport’s runways to a new location. Now standing 2.4 miles from its previous home, the terminal still abuts a runway and is used for arrivals and departures of a single resident: the current monarch, Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II.

The circular restaurant section was moved separately due to its shape.

A chair that's clearly haunting, Louis Ghost turns 10.

 

Happy 10th anniversary to the Louis Ghost Chair designed by Philippe Starck in 2002. To celebrate this postmodern triumph of technical innovation and historical style, we're having a Ghost Anniversary Sale. Save 10% for 10 days: October 22–31.

A Symbol of Hope.

Perhaps one of the most amazing things about the National Design Awards is the trophy. The amount of thought, innovation, creativity – and the fact that it takes six to eight hours to complete one – is an award-winning effort. Beginning in 2011 and again this year, Corning, Inc. as part of the Corning Museum’s GlassLab initiative, has designed, sculpted and hand-polished each trophy.

"This sure is a lot of fun, but who else would want to do it?"

If you've ever been to Marin County, California, you know it is a hot area for biking. But did you know that it is actually where mountain biking began? The quote above is what Joe Breeze said to Otis Guy while riding their stripped-down, single-speed Schwinn bikes on Mt. Tam in 1975.

Howie Hammerman, Otis Guy, Chris McManus and Joe Breeze on Mount Tamalpais, Marin County, California, in November 1977. Photo by Wende Cragg, Rolling Dinosaur archives.

An exhibition currently at San Francisco International Airport (yes, at the airport) explores the exciting evolution of mountain biking. "From Repack to Rwanda: The Origins, Evolution, and Global Reach of the Mountain Bike" will be on display in the International Terminal through February 2013.

Project Rwanda Coffee Bike 2012 | Ritchey Design, Inc., Redwood City, California

You're invited:

We hope you can join us at our SoHo Studio on Saturday, October 13. RSVP (required) to: pr@dwr.com

A Night of Design: Open Till 9.

You're invited to an after-hours shopping event at DWR. We’ll be serving hors d’oeuvres and refreshments while you shop the Semiannual Sale and save on all your favorites, including collections rarely on sale from Cassina, Flos, Fritz Hansen and Kartell. While you're here, be sure to enter our raffle to win a Nelson Ball Clock.

When: Thursday, October 11
Where: DWR Studios

Not located near a DWR Studio? Keep an eye on our Facebook page for another chance to win a Nelson Ball Clock.

 

Teaching your modern dog to sit.

When we say "we invite you to bring your dog or kids to our Studios," we mean it. This happy fellow stopped by our Scottsdale Studio to shop the Semiannual Sale and check out the System 1-2-3 Lounge by Verner Panton. We appreciate that he chose to wear his DWR red collar for the occasion.

Craving culture? Exhibitions to see now.

Schaukelwagen (Rocking car) by Hans Brockhage, 1950. On display at MoMA, New York.

Here are just a few exhibitions happening around the country. From Louis Kahn in NYC to a celebration of George Nelson at Cranbrook to “House & Home” in Washington, D.C., there is richness to enjoy everywhere.

NEW YORK

Lori Bookstein Fine Art
Louis I. Kahn: In the Park - Opens Oct. 11

The Museum at FIT 
Ivy Style

MoMA
Century of the Child: Growing by Design, 1900-2000

COLORADO

Denver Art Museum 
What is Modern? 

Worth the trip: Room 606.

Egg and Swan chairs in Room 606.

It’s been a seven-year journey for me to get to Room 606, so when the hotel manager opened the door, then immediately shut it and blushed, I was worried. Fortunately, the scene inside was a lot less scandalous than I’d first imagined. In fact, it was fabulous.

New York Times + DWR = Design and Architecture Crossword.

DWR is proud to bring you a very special crossword puzzle, written for everyone who is passionate about design. Click on the puzzle for a larger image or click here for a printable PDF. This puzzle will also appear in the October 7 issue of T Design (see page 60) in The New York Times.

Keep reading for hints and answers. 

Do you dream in Verner Panton color?

The Verner Panton suite at Hotel Alexandra in Copenhagen is labeled “a sight for sore eyes” in the hotel’s literature. The description then goes on to refer to the designer as “Verner Pant,” which they've assured me they will change. In the meantime, what do you think of the room? Is it the suite of your wildest dreams?

Guests sleep under the warm glow of Panton's Ball Lamp (1969) and a blanket in his iconic Design Geometri (1960) textile.

A wallhanging in the Verner Panton Suite.

Keep reading to see additional photos.

You're invited to A Night of Design: Open Till 9.

Join us on Thursday, October 11 for an after-hours shopping event and a chance to win a Nelson Ball Clock. Visit dwr.com/studios to find a DWR location near you.