roboquattro by alexander hoffart in NYC
the concept of a door handle extends far beyond than solely the opening and closing of doors. this fixture is symbolic moving past a boundary line; the door-as-obstacle motif is representative of a limit between two worlds, the handle being the necessary tool to be able to cross into a new plane of being. the colombo design door handles embody two points of significance: one visionary and the other tactile. when the latter interpretation takes precedent over the first, it leaves off to exist setting free its own being which is the hidden ‘esprit’ of all things. the designboom still-life series celebrates both the dynamic quality of the door handle in the foreground in combination with the beauty observed just beyond the piece in what is ultimately a surrealistic visualization of a traveling artifact. the atmosphere is captured so authentically that one can practically touch it. ‘roboquattro’ by german designer alexander hoffart for colombo design is a sleek, modern handle with particularly straightened lines. the precise form of the ergonomic piece boasts slightly beveled corners, offering the smooth door pull an unusual quality. hoffart’s fixture is a winning entry of designboom’s recent competition ‘hands on door handles’ in collaboration with colombo design, italy, and is now in production. the ‘roboquattro’ door handle by alexander hoffart for colombo speaks to two actualizations of designboom’s reflection upon the concept of space; both here and there, inside and outside. the images included in this installation of the colombo design series were taken by designboom on our recent trip to NYC, for the ICFF international contemporary furniture fair, in may of 2012. the timeless fixture blends in quite readily with the ideal mix of old and new world that is new york city. we were greeted with several sunny days and captured the unique interaction of ‘roboquattro’ with this natural light as the polished and beveled lever reflected the light and surroundings of this bustling metropolis.rather than photoshopping the door handle into each frame, we ventured into the vibrant streets of the united states’ financial capitol in order to introduce hoffart’s design to the environment. the still-life series is comprised of images both picturing the stick stand and those in which the object has been removed in post-production, further combining the real ‘roboquattro’ handle into the true landscape. the environmental reflections and gleam from the fixture’s surface are authentic and instantaneous— produced by the piece’s surroundings in the moment the image was captured.
we have captured ‘roboquattro’, the doorhandle by alexander hoffart in the urban jungle of NYC. the juxtaposition of the minimalistic tool with the bustling and colorful streets of the celebrated city is an authentic result. each image has a tactile essence, as if the viewer were able to turn the handle and enter into the bright exterior environment. ‘roboquattro’ is the fourth proposal in the ‘robot’ family of colombo design. the designer says of his work, ‘when you see [roboquattro] at the first time, you immediately and instinctively should know how to use it. on top it’s slightly flattened so you can push it down easily and rest your thumb on the flat band which flows around the door handle. from the front view the flat band looks like a thin stripe and it flows out of a cylinder which is the center of rotation. so, every part of [roboquattro] is formed as it is needed’.
© designboom
http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/21443/colombo-design-roboquattro-by-alexander-hoffart-in-nyc.html
Tomo Kimura: sketches for Twitty handle
Intervista a Tomo Kimura sulla nascita della maniglia Twitty, nuovo prodotto Colombo Design e progetto vincitore del concorso promosso con Designboom “Hands on door handles”.
pegaso by alberto meda in bangkok
a door handle may be used for more than solely the opening and closing of doors. the handle is symbolic of plunging into a new frontier; the door standing as the limit between two universes. the colombo design door handles embody two points of significance: one visionary and the other tactile. when the latter interpretation takes precedent over the first, it leaves off to exist setting free its own being which is the hidden ‘esprit’ of all things. the designboom still-life series celebrates both the dynamic quality of the door handle in the foreground in combination with the beauty observed just beyond the piece in what is ultimately a surrealistic visualization of a traveling artifact. the atmosphere is captured so authentically that one can practically touch it. the ‘pegaso’ door handle by alberto meda, for colombo speaks to two manifestations of the concept of space; both inside and outside, here or there. every space has a unique interaction with natural light. the polished lever is able to beautifully reflect the light found in any space. the images included in this colombo design series were taken by designboom on our recent trip to bangkok, for the TIFF thailand international furniture fair, in march of 2012. the doorhandle is not photoshopped into the screen, but rather, captured in thailand’s colorful surroundings. true to conceptual photographic still-life practice, we have removed the stick from several of the images in post-production, further combining the real ‘pegaso’ handle into the true landscape. the reflections and light are authentic and instantaneous, produced by the environment in the moment the image was captured.
protecting the world from the steady depletion of resources has become more and more important in a global economy. one point is particularly emphasized in these efforts — the attention paid to manufacturing and production upon the environment. colombo design production processes are the result of a total attention to environmental protection. through the accurate management of these processes, the company has obtained the elite UNI EN ISO 14001 certification ‘certified environmental management system’, ensuring clients that colombo design production is completed with the environmental wellness in mind.
in bangkok, we have captured ‘pegaso’, the doorhandle by alberto meda, outdoors. the juxtaposition of the minimalistic tool with the vibrant colors attributed to the south east asian seaside country is an authentic result — there is a tangible quality to the images, as if one could reach out to turn the handle and open a door to the bright exterior environment.
alberto meda was born in 1945 in lenno tremezzina, a small town in the province of como. in 1969 he received a degree in mechanical engineering from milan’s polytechnic. after four years at magneti marelli as an assistant in the production department, he became the head of the technical department at kartell in 1973, where he was in charge of overseeing all designs and research for technological developments in polyurethane foam. in 1979 he began to work as a freelance designer and product engineering consultant. he worked with the alfa romeo auto design division for four years. he currently provides designs to: alias, colombo design, italtel telematica, luceplan.
he won the golden compass in 1987 for the design sections of the book entitled ‘la materia dell’invenzione’ by ezio manzini (arcadia) and in 1989 with his ‘lola’ lamp for luceplan. his designs have been shown in tokyo (1990, one-man show), osaka (1991) and milan (triennale, 1992).
he currently lives and works in milan, where he is a professor at domus academy.
text and images © designboom
Fuorisalone 2012 - Brera Design District
Colombo Design - Concept Store Agape 12 - april 17-22, Milan via Statuto 12
esprit by birgit lohmann in singapore
a door handle may be used for more than solely the opening and closing of doors. the handle is symbolic of plunging into a new frontier; the door standing as the limit between two universes. the colombo design door handles embody two points of significance: one visionary and the other tactile. when the latter interpretation takes precedent over the first, it leaves off to exist setting free its own being which is the hidden ‘esprit’ of all things. the designboom still-life series celebrates both the dynamic quality of the door handle in the foreground in combination with the beauty observed just beyond the piece in what is ultimately a surrealistic visualization of a traveling artifact. the atmosphere is captured so authentically that one can practically touch it. the ‘esprit’ door handle by birgit lohmann, editor-in-chief of designboom, for colombo speaks to two manifestations of the concept of space; both inside and outside, here or there. every space has a unique interaction with natural light. the polished lever is able to beautifully reflect the light found in any space. the images included in this colombo design series were taken by designboom on our recent trip to the singapore international furniture fair, in march of 2012. © designboom
http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/20270/colombo-design-esprit-by-birgit-lohmann-in-singapore.html
hands on door handles competition: twitty now in production
almost a year ago, designboom announced the winners of the ‘hands on door handles’ competition hosted in collaboration with colombo design.
among the four winning entries was japanese designer tomo kimura’s ‘twitts’ which was awarded top ratings in the ‘free-style’ category.
following the conclusion of the competition, the design was so well-received that colombo decided to take the handle into production.
now re-named ‘twitty’, the concept came to kimura while he was sitting in front of his computer looking out at the birds perched on his window sill.
the poetic motif of the design features a bird perched upon a branch, its tail formally standing in place as the door handle itself.
the lighthearted and functional design brings a new life to the usually emotionless state of a door handle.
due to the complex form of kimura’s design, the handle is produced using the ancient technique of casting molten metal
inside a damp clay sand mold through which fixed channels funnel the liquid inside. the device holds the design in two parts,
one above and the other below, the cast pieces fitting together like two halves of a shell. as the metal cools down and returns
to its normal temperature and solid state, it breaks the mold, releasing itself. the pieces are then polished and finished.
http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/20122/hands-on-door-handles-competition-twitty-now-in-production.html
© designboom
Twitty by Tomo Kimura. A new Colombo Design handle, award winner of the recent international competition “Hands on door handles”. Now available!
