HIMACS: Dutch design at Ventura Centrale

Dutch design at Ventura Centrale exhibits the materials of tomorrow in Milan

Transitions III is one of the most eagerly awaited events in the Ventura Centrale district during the forthcoming Design Week. The projects on view include spectacular accessories made of HIMACS.

Home to minimalist aesthetics, but also to experimentation, innovation and creative flair, the Netherlands has long made a major contribution to the wow factor that underpins the Fuorisalone di Milano. This showcase of Dutch talent illustrates a completely novel approach in the worlds of both design and materials that breaks with the rigid “design” framework to which we are accustomed.

Among the most highly anticipated events is the Transitions III: Experimental Creativity organised by Baars & Bloemhoff, which highlights within a single evocative location (the former warehouses adjoining the Central Station in via Ferrante Aporti) the work and creativity of six major Dutch design teams, who were invited to present their own personal interpretations of the materials via a broad portfolio.

The project is initiated by Baars & Bloemhoff and the exhibition design is created in collaboration with set director Studio Harm Rensink. The six participating designers - Bart Joachim van Uden, Christian Heikoop, Floris Wubben, Job van den Berg, Mae Engelgeer and Studio Truly Truly - have created a range of cupboards, lighting, countertops and facings, together with other furnishing accessories, both large and small.

The items include the Crystal Shift and Crystal Twist lamps designed by Floris Wubben, which give a new angle to the use of HIMACS Natural Acrylic Stone, which here for the first time incorporates a handcrafted “detachment” approach. Wubben has deliberately shifted attention away from the surface itself to the internal structure of the solid surface, to reveal a rough and irregular texture very similar to that of actual stone, and which creates pleasing effects of light and shade when placed next to a light source. As their names suggest, Rubben’s lamps manage to combine soft shapes with the apparent solidity of crystals, giving unique and random illuminated bodies, to great artistic effect.

Mae Engeigeer, on the other hand, reinterprets HIMACS in several finishes, combining it with other materials using simple planes and geometric forms. The result is a broad collection of surfaces (such as coffee tables, bedside tables, consoles, wall-mounted tables, magazine racks) which have a vast range of possible applications, which can be ordered in custom sizes and combinations of finishes.

Transitions III is a fascinating showcase both of the materials of tomorrow and of alternative uses for classical materials. It is a window on the world of design that extends beyond our current limitations and serves as a springboard for inspiration and new ideas.

Transitions III: Experimental Creativity awaits you in Ventura Centrale from 17 to 22 April at via Ferrante Aporti 9. Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 8 pm. Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm.

Location	Ventura Centrale district, Milan, Italy
Architecture & Design	Studio Harm Rensink, Bart Joachim van Uden, Christian Heikoop, Floris Wubben, Job van den Berg, Mae Engelgeer and Studio Truly Truly
Material used	HIMACS
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