During milan design week 2015, leading manufacturer of premium quartz surfaces, Caesarstone, presented ‘movements’ — an interactive installation that combines an eight-piece swing-set and a collection of handmade planters conceived by Philippe Malouin
Positioned within the historic Palazzo Serbelloni, ‘movements’ is divided into two parts, each of which explores the unexpected application of the Caesarstone material, and its distinctive textures, in process-based design.
The first part is an eight-piece swing set inside the grand hall of the Palazzo Serbelloni.
The swing seats are made from the 2015 new surface designs from Caesarstone, hung from a frame, transforming the opulent hall into a playground.
click here to see the swings in use
While sitting on a swing is typically reserved for childhood, the swings at the Milano show were moved from the standard playground environment and integrated into the magnificent environment of the palace, metamorphosing the swinging experience, and offering new and intimate contact with the familiar material.
” For me the starting point was the exploration of the material, as we tend to start most projects,” said Malouin. “We therefore focused on spending time in the workshop, except, this was not an ordinary workshop, but a fully equipped solid surface transformation facility,” he added.
“Caesarstone is an extremely versatile material that is easy to predict and work with, and it offers a variety of colours and finishes,” said Malouin. “I therefore experimented with a series of techniques and applications ranging from the mundane to the more experimental.”
The second part, located in the adjacent rooms, is a series of displays of handmade planters a collection of geometric planters in a range of shapes, textures and colours using solid-surface material Caesarstone Malouin created during his experimentation with the material.
The planters demonstrate traditional carving techniques such as inlay and marquetry as well as showcasing the variety of colours in the Caesarstone collection, including new hues for 2015.
About Philippe Malouin
Canadian Philippe Malouin holds a bachelor’s degree in Design from the Design Academy Eindhoven.
He has also studied at the École Nationale Supérieure de Création Industrielle in Paris and University of Montreal.
He set up his studio in 2009 after working for English designer Tom Dixon.
Philippe Lives and works in London, where he operates his design studio and teaches platform 18 alongside Sarah van Gameren at the Royal College of Arts.
He is also the director of POST-OFFICE, the architectural and interiors design practice. His diverse portfolio includes tables, rugs, chairs, lights, art objects and installations.
Philippe’s client list includes: Roll & Hill, 1882 ltd., Kvadrat, Established & Sons, Umbra Shift, Caesarstone, NextLevel galerie Paris, Gallery Fumi London, ProjectB Gallery Milan, Swarovski, Bloomberg, Aesop, Touch Digital. Philippe has won the W Hotels ‘Designer of the Future’ Award and the Wallpaper ‘Best Use of Material’ Award.
