(Fun)ctional forms
Design guru Carlo Schembri has made a name for himself and his country. His designs grace various corners of the globe. Lisa Gwen Baldacchino caught up with the 34-year-old creative artist.
Form follows function. Yet functionality does not necessarily exclude aesthetics or visually gratifying forms.
Form follows function is a term which was coined and somewhat popularised by the American architect and "father of modernism" Louis Sullivan and his predecessor, the American sculptor Horatio Greenough.
It is essentially a principle associated with 20th century modern architecture and industrial design which states that the purpose of an object (or a building for that matter) should be determined by its use or purpose.
This is not always the case, however, and no fine line can be drawn on the form versus functionality debate, especially since ornament or largely decorative objects constitute an appeal in themselves.
Form and function lie at the fundamental roots of the concerns of many a designer and design house; however the word fun doesn't generally feature in this equation.
This trio of concerns - namely form, function and fun, lie at the basis of a Milan-based partnership between Maltese designer Carlo Schembri and Italian architect Antonio Zardoni.
Their enterprise has been aptly titled ForFun Design. The name itself is an abbreviation and derivation of the form/function formula. In this case however, "fun" possesses a double meaning: it denotes the nature of the products created by the company as being functional yet pleasing to the senses.
The Times Business met up with Mr Schembri, who invited us to his princely residence in Rabat to find out what projects this art director and design guru had in store and how he is bridging the gap between the design-market in Malta and Italy. The first thing that hits you once you step through the front door are the brilliant clean, white walls, accentuated and punctuated with hints of colour.
The place simply exudes design. It is pointedly obvious that much attention has been paid to detail - from every strategically placed mirror used to reflect and visually expand the already grand open space, to every work of art used to juxtapose the linearity and often multi-textured forms of the several prototypes of design-products.
Light also plays an important if not essential role in the overall ambience, a role which is reinforced not only by the ample windows but also by the central courtyard which has been roofed with a skylight to soften the amplitude of natural light.
Mr Schembri greets us with a warm charismatic smile and freshly-cooked espresso. We take a seat in his cured back garden, complete with outdoor standing lamps, which could pass off as sculptures, seeing as their simplicity and practicality of design were created to interact and merge with nature.
He has been working as a designer for several years together with his wife and "partner in crime", Stefania, with whom he directs the local design firm, Design Source International (DSI). Their house is a showcase of their design creations, therefore, practising what they preach and owning/utilising the objects they sell.
Along the years DSI has developed into one of the leading design firms in Malta, taking on a number of prestigious and challenging projects ranging from providing the necessary art direction of high-end residential concepts, to yacht design, to giving advice for urban regeneration projects.
DSI has been responsible for numerous projects: they have undertaken the artistic direction in the upgrading of several areas in the Westin Dragonara Resort, the Intercontinental Hotel and the Radisson SAS in St Julians. Not to mention the art direction, architectural and interior design projects in Morocco, Libya, London, Monaco, Bratislava, Milan and Torino.
Since those "early" days, Mr Schembri has obtained two Master degrees in interior design and product design, from the Scuola Politecnica di Design in Milan. In 2006 he co-founded ForFun Design studio in Milan.
Since its onset, ForFun Design has become a high-end design-studio involved in and collaborated on a number of projects worthy of mention. Perhaps, one which deserves particular focus was an award-winning project for Gruppo Palazzetti - through which Palazzetti ForFun was then created. The project, a fireplace (the model of which is titled Alma) possesses an organic and dynamic design with strong contours and sleek finish, won the 2007 Gioia Casa 100 Best Design award. This design in turn inspired other ForFun creations, such as the Nidodinverno.
ForFun has also created a 2008 version of the typical Maltese gradenza (chest of drawers) for Fino and Sons Ltd whereby the original shape and form of this item of furniture has been maintained but upgraded in finish, material and inlays to suit the 21st century.
Mr Schembri has also been awarded a number of solo projects with international designers of note, such as Gulio Cappellini, Ricardo Bluumer, Huub Hubbens, Simone Micheli and Gianni Forcolini. In 2005, for example, he collaborated with Centro Stile Italia for the interior concept design of the Fiat 500, and that same year he was involved with Mr Micheli in the design of the Casa Italia, set up during the Torino 2006 Winter Olympics. The following year, he collaborated with Walter de Silva on the interior design of the Audi A8, and later that year Sunseeker commissioned Mr Schembri for the design of Super Yacht made by the same company.
His greatest project and challenge to date however, is probably a project which is yet to come: he has been appointed, together with Venetian architect Giovanni Trevisano, to oversee and implement the art direction of the area known as Il Paradiso di Venezia, in Veneto, Italy. This area basically constitutes the entrance of the Venice Art Biennial which is customarily utilised for the launch and closing parties of the Biennial. It is, therefore, an area which is visited and frequented by thousands of people on a daily basis.
Amid all these high calibre projects Mr Schembri remains down to earth, realistic and practical in his vision, confessing that architecture should be a living space.
Carlo and Stefania Schembri's design studios have achieved enough recognition to be able to receive a number of students from the Scuola Politecnica di Design in Milan, to conduct 220-hour internships. They also organise long-weekend trips for clients to come and visit them in their hometown, thus sowing the seeds for that quintessentially important long-lasting rapport.
http://www.forfundesign.it, http://www.palazzettiforfun.com
Form follows function is a term which was coined and somewhat popularised by the American architect and "father of modernism" Louis Sullivan and his predecessor, the American sculptor Horatio Greenough.
It is essentially a principle associated with 20th century modern architecture and industrial design which states that the purpose of an object (or a building for that matter) should be determined by its use or purpose.
This is not always the case, however, and no fine line can be drawn on the form versus functionality debate, especially since ornament or largely decorative objects constitute an appeal in themselves.
Form and function lie at the fundamental roots of the concerns of many a designer and design house; however the word fun doesn't generally feature in this equation.
This trio of concerns - namely form, function and fun, lie at the basis of a Milan-based partnership between Maltese designer Carlo Schembri and Italian architect Antonio Zardoni.
Their enterprise has been aptly titled ForFun Design. The name itself is an abbreviation and derivation of the form/function formula. In this case however, "fun" possesses a double meaning: it denotes the nature of the products created by the company as being functional yet pleasing to the senses.
The Times Business met up with Mr Schembri, who invited us to his princely residence in Rabat to find out what projects this art director and design guru had in store and how he is bridging the gap between the design-market in Malta and Italy. The first thing that hits you once you step through the front door are the brilliant clean, white walls, accentuated and punctuated with hints of colour.
The place simply exudes design. It is pointedly obvious that much attention has been paid to detail - from every strategically placed mirror used to reflect and visually expand the already grand open space, to every work of art used to juxtapose the linearity and often multi-textured forms of the several prototypes of design-products.
Light also plays an important if not essential role in the overall ambience, a role which is reinforced not only by the ample windows but also by the central courtyard which has been roofed with a skylight to soften the amplitude of natural light.
Mr Schembri greets us with a warm charismatic smile and freshly-cooked espresso. We take a seat in his cured back garden, complete with outdoor standing lamps, which could pass off as sculptures, seeing as their simplicity and practicality of design were created to interact and merge with nature.
He has been working as a designer for several years together with his wife and "partner in crime", Stefania, with whom he directs the local design firm, Design Source International (DSI). Their house is a showcase of their design creations, therefore, practising what they preach and owning/utilising the objects they sell.
Along the years DSI has developed into one of the leading design firms in Malta, taking on a number of prestigious and challenging projects ranging from providing the necessary art direction of high-end residential concepts, to yacht design, to giving advice for urban regeneration projects.
DSI has been responsible for numerous projects: they have undertaken the artistic direction in the upgrading of several areas in the Westin Dragonara Resort, the Intercontinental Hotel and the Radisson SAS in St Julians. Not to mention the art direction, architectural and interior design projects in Morocco, Libya, London, Monaco, Bratislava, Milan and Torino.
Since those "early" days, Mr Schembri has obtained two Master degrees in interior design and product design, from the Scuola Politecnica di Design in Milan. In 2006 he co-founded ForFun Design studio in Milan.
Since its onset, ForFun Design has become a high-end design-studio involved in and collaborated on a number of projects worthy of mention. Perhaps, one which deserves particular focus was an award-winning project for Gruppo Palazzetti - through which Palazzetti ForFun was then created. The project, a fireplace (the model of which is titled Alma) possesses an organic and dynamic design with strong contours and sleek finish, won the 2007 Gioia Casa 100 Best Design award. This design in turn inspired other ForFun creations, such as the Nidodinverno.
ForFun has also created a 2008 version of the typical Maltese gradenza (chest of drawers) for Fino and Sons Ltd whereby the original shape and form of this item of furniture has been maintained but upgraded in finish, material and inlays to suit the 21st century.
Mr Schembri has also been awarded a number of solo projects with international designers of note, such as Gulio Cappellini, Ricardo Bluumer, Huub Hubbens, Simone Micheli and Gianni Forcolini. In 2005, for example, he collaborated with Centro Stile Italia for the interior concept design of the Fiat 500, and that same year he was involved with Mr Micheli in the design of the Casa Italia, set up during the Torino 2006 Winter Olympics. The following year, he collaborated with Walter de Silva on the interior design of the Audi A8, and later that year Sunseeker commissioned Mr Schembri for the design of Super Yacht made by the same company.
His greatest project and challenge to date however, is probably a project which is yet to come: he has been appointed, together with Venetian architect Giovanni Trevisano, to oversee and implement the art direction of the area known as Il Paradiso di Venezia, in Veneto, Italy. This area basically constitutes the entrance of the Venice Art Biennial which is customarily utilised for the launch and closing parties of the Biennial. It is, therefore, an area which is visited and frequented by thousands of people on a daily basis.
Amid all these high calibre projects Mr Schembri remains down to earth, realistic and practical in his vision, confessing that architecture should be a living space.
Carlo and Stefania Schembri's design studios have achieved enough recognition to be able to receive a number of students from the Scuola Politecnica di Design in Milan, to conduct 220-hour internships. They also organise long-weekend trips for clients to come and visit them in their hometown, thus sowing the seeds for that quintessentially important long-lasting rapport.
http://www.forfundesign.it, http://www.palazzettiforfun.com