A French toast to thoughtful details and playful retail at the Monocle Design Awards
The Monocle Design Awards honoured everything from elegant boutique hotels to bone chandeliers for dogs.
On Monday night we hosted a small party at our café and shop in Paris to celebrate this year’s Monocle Design Awards. With seven of our winners coming from France – and our newest outpost truly hitting its groove – it felt like the right moment to have, well, a moment. French designers’ significant representation in our awards attests to the high value that the country places on impeccable craftsmanship. My suspicion is that this attitude comes from the fact that France still prizes highly specialised production that’s rooted in the tradition of the atelier. The event also pulled in winners from across the globe who happened to be passing through the French capital and could pick up their Harry Thaler-designed paperweight-cum-trophy. The night offered a chance to muse on some of the themes raised by the awards. Here are a few takeaways.
The importance of a good client
Austrian couple Lisa Rümmele and Johannes Glatz joined us in Paris after winning the award for best new hotel. The pair’s conversion of a 17th-century brewery into the elegant eight-room Stadthotel Kleiner Löwe was a standout in its category. They worked with Herzog & de Meuron on the project but the architecture firm initially declined. “They said that it’s too small,” says Rümmele. “And, that when the clients are a couple, it becomes emotional.” Thankfully, the practice eventually came round. The hotel is a reminder that smaller clients who are personally invested in the outcome can make for exceptionally successful architecture.
More than shopping
French department store Le Bon Marché picked up the award for best retail installation for the second year running. This time the installation was a love letter to dogs of all shapes and sizes. Called “Je t’aime comme un chien”, it included bone chandeliers and speciality products ranging from Barbour raincoats to a poodle-motif tie from Cinabre. In the retail world, where moving units is all important, Le Bon Marché knows that sales needn’t come at the expense of fun.
Tailored responses
Our residential architect of the year, Manuel Cervantes (pictured above, left), does not have a signature style so much as a signature approach. Over a glass of chablis, Cervantes reminded me of the importance of listening. “As an architect, your practice isn’t about personal expression,” he said. “It’s about responding to the realities of a place, a culture, a moment in time. You can’t just replicate old ideas – you have to respond to today’s conditions.”
Eye for the details
Graphic designer Yorgo Tloupas told us about his branding work, including signage, for the 27/4 building in Paris. Among the project’s highlights are custom versions of fire-safety notices and the venue’s alcohol licence. “You might not be able to notice these details unless you really pay attention,” says Tloupas. “But the overall effect matters on a subconscious level.”
Looking back in wonder
The French crew of Milan-based conglomerate Flos B&B Italia Group joined us for a celebratory drink after two of its brands picked up awards. Both the Bellhop Glass T lamp and Flair O’Maxi dining chair were inspired by products that existed in the archives. They show how ideas from the past can be a springboard for innovation when they are updated for modern life.
Monisse is Monocle’s design editor. Find the complete Monocle Design Awards online here, or in print in our May issue which is on newsstands now.
