Apparatus’s Rugs for CC-Tapis Highlight the In-Between, and Other News

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Apparatus’s Rugs for CC-Tapis Highlight the In-Between 

“We’re not just making another pretty rug,” Fabrizio Cantoni says about CC-Tapis, the textile brand he founded with his wife, Nelly Chamszadeh. Instead, the French-Italian brand and its Kathmandu atelier are more interested in faithfully rendering the contemporary visions of their growing roster of collaborators such as Faye Toogood, Philippe Malouin, and Christophe Delcourt, many of whom rarely design in the medium. The results are statement rugs marked by multidimensional forms and riotous fields of color that elevate the medium to fine art.

Next up on their list of collaborators is Apparatus, the New York studio helmed by Gabriel Hendifar whose sought-after furnishings and lighting fixtures are often imbued with emotion and a narrative twist. Ditto for the resulting collection, called Sequence, that plays out in the form of rugs hand-tufted using pure Vietnamese silk and worsted New Zealand wool in simple shapes. Each is connected at a distance in linear series using Apparatus brass hardware, yielding near-infinite configurations. The arrangements highlight the power of the in-between, recalling Pierre Cardin’s silhouettes and the sense of passage evoked by a porte-cochère.

Jefre’s twisting steel sculpture will anchor Perkins & Will’s revamp of the Jacksonville riverfront. 

Local artist Jefre’s massive 151-foot-tall stainless-steel sculpture, depicting the word “Jax,” will anchor Perkins & Will’s revitalization of the city’s waterfront plaza downtown. Other features in the Miami-based firm’s winning concept, dubbed One Park Jax, include a central lawn, play space, river terrace, beer garden, park pavilion building, an outdoor dining “sky garden,” and a bike and pedestrian connection to the Main Street bridge. The firm was also just selected to reimagine downtown Fort Lauderdale’s Huizenga Park.  

Salvatore Ferragamo has named Maximilian Davis as the label’s new creative director. 

Maximilian Davis has been named the new creative director of Salvatore Ferragamo. The Trinidadian British designer was recently shortlisted as one of the 20 semifinalists for this year’s LVMH Prize for Young Designers, but withdrew from the competition. He’ll be fully dedicated to the Florence-based brand and pause operations on his namesake label, which is stocked at Dover Street Market, Matchesfashion, Browns, Ssense, and Net-a-Porter. Ferragamo chief executive officer Marco Gobbetti praised Davis for his work’s “elegance, refined sensuality, and constant commitment to quality,” he said in a statement. “Through his lens of contemporary sensibility, he will write a new, exciting chapter for this house built on a heritage of creativity, craftsmanship, sophistication, and outstanding human values.” 

The Met taps Frida Escobedo to redesign its Modern and contemporary art wing.

Frida Escobedo will redesign the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Modern and contemporary art wing. The Mexico City architect, who landed the prestigious Serpentine Pavilion commission in 2018, may seem like a surprising choice for the $500 million project given that most of her completed structures have been temporary. “I like challenges,” she told the New York Times. “One of the dream commissions for any architect is to design an institution with the importance and relevance of the Met.” She reiterated the importance of her design, which is slated for completion in seven years, to “connect to the rest of the museum, connect to the park, to connect with the city, and also to represent the cultural diversity of New York.” The $500 million expansion, which will be named after trustee Oscar L. Tang and his wife, Agnes Hsu Tang, will create 80,000 square feet of galleries with a more open structure. 

Ole Scheeren unveils two eco-forward resorts stacked on top of each other in China. 

Set to open in 2020 on the island of Hainan in southern China, the tropical resort complex will act as a vertical jungle of sorts with hanging gardens adorning the hexagonal facade, which shields the building from the sun and promotes natural cross-ventilation that reduces the energy footprint. The vertical stacking of the Regent Sanya Bay and Hotel Indigo Sanya Bay create a visual effect that echoes the rippling of ocean waves, while the gardens will be home to various species, biotopes, pavilions, and restaurants and lounges. 

Jill Biden chooses interior designer Mark D. Sikes to decorate her East Wing office.

Mark D. Sikes will soon tackle a commission as prestigious as they come: redesigning the East Wing office for First Lady Jill Biden. “As is customary with previous First Ladies, Dr. Biden is updating her office and working with an interior designer,” a statement issued by the office said about the selection. “She spends a great deal of time in her East Wing office, and is looking forward to personalizing the space to more reflect her working style, where she can hold larger meetings and host guests.” Likes has become well-known within the design community for interiors that meld a classic style with modern elegance, has participated in the Kips Bay Decorator Show House, and has his own furniture, lighting, and fabric lines.  

Daniel Libeskind brings sharp angles and planes to Hennessy’s latest decanter. 

Though Daniel Libeskind has masterminded high-profile commissions like the World Trade Center Site and the Denver Art Museum, his latest project is much smaller in scale. The New York architect has brought his signature stamp—sharp angles and asymmetrical planes—to a newly unveiled decanter for Hennessy,  a Baccarat glass curved bottle housed inside an angular five-sided glass pane. “On the outside you have Libeskind and on the inside you have Richard,” Hennessy master blender Renaud Fillioux de Gironde says of the 250-year-old cognac distiller’s founder, Richard, whose name now graces the decanter. 

Today’s attractive distractions:

Universal Studios Hollywood plans to open a Nintendo theme park next year.

A ceramics collector donates 3,000 pieces to the Everson Museum’s eatery.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ new animated video is packed with L.A. cliches.

A hyper-focused 2,731-person team is reconstructing New York in Minecraft.