MODERN Milwaukee

In our continued quest to find the next big designers, DWR is launching MODERN Milwaukee, a design competition to find the finest new talent in the Milwaukee area. We’ve assembled a top-notch panel of jurors to lend their insights: Bob Rinder, president of the Milwaukee Institute of Architecture and Design; Joe Ketner, chief curator of the Milwaukee Art Museum; Tom Bamberger, photographer and local architecture and arts writer and Jeremy Shamrowicz, principle of Flux Design. Join us on October 20, during Historic Third Ward Gallery Night, when the selected winners will be on display.

Or, if you’re interested in entering, click here. Entries are due by September 15.

Racecar spelled backward...

More than 4000 drawings are generated in the design of a Formula One racecar, and while they’re not all on display (thankfully) at London’s Design Museum, the exhibit’s online feature is worth a look if you’d like to take a spin in a Renault R25, practice pit stops or see a movie about how the R25 is designed. While most of the features could use editing, the trip around the track is delightfully disorienting as you watch where you’re going while being distracted by the controls on the steering wheel. Is he shifting gears with his thumb? 

See also: Design This Man's Helmet or He'll Run You Over

Gehry: The Simpsons, sterling and film

Southern California has been a breeding ground for modernism in architecture since the 1920s, populated by legendary iconic characters like Neutra, Shindler and Eames. There are also living characters of huge influence. The most obvious is Frank Gehry who is arguably the most visible and influential architect of our time. He’s been featured in an episode of The Simpsons and has a signature jewelry line at Tiffany. Global recognition. He’s also the subject of the documentary Sketches of Frank Gehry (2006), which I saw last weekend in a filled-to-capacity theater. (Whether the draw was architecture or air conditioning on a 100º day, I’m not sure, but I recommend the film.)

Just down the road from Gehry in Southern LA, in a spectacular house, lives architect Ray Kappe. His influence in the field may well be as great as Gehry’s though he has never appeared on The Simpsons nor done designer jewelry.

Caps off to Kappe

Congratulations to Ray Kappe, FAIA, on receiving a Lifetime Achievement in Education Award from the Los Angeles Chapter of the Association of Architects (AIA/LA). Kappe is a renowned architect and founder of the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), perhaps the leading architecture school in the country. We met Kappe when we converted one of his buildings into our Beverly Hills Studio. We also had a chance to tour his home, which is as radical as anything you will see today. We are pleased to see Kappe honored.

Up and coming designers

DWR isn’t just about classic mid-century modern. We’re always looking for the next big designers coming down the pike, the next classics. To that end, on August 30, at our Denver Studio we’re welcoming students and faculty of the Art Institute of Colorado. The event will feature several examples of the best work from the Art Institute of Colorado’s Industrial Design department. Entries will be judged by a panel and the winners will be on display. Representatives of the school’s faculty will discuss the Industrial Design program. It’s a rare opportunity to see the next generation of designers. Check back here to see the winners.

The Eames Film Festival

According to the Eames Office, Charles and Ray Eames made over 100 short films between 1950 and 1982. The Eames Office has done a beautiful job of preserving their legacy – archiving the pair’s films, photography and other artistic and design-oriented endeavors. DWR has teamed up with Eames Demetrios (grandson of Charles Eames) and Bernadine Styburski, executive director of Eames Office, to present the Eames Film Festival. It’ll be on tour through our Studios all over the country. Click for details.