Cross Cultural Chairs (@crossculturalchairs ), is a project by @emmegu with an accompanying book published by @onomatopeenet in 2020.
“The anatomy of our bodies requires sitting; but do we design seats in the same way? Has our means of sitting been colonised by modern design? And how is the diverse, social-cultural act of sitting itself reflected in this functional commodity?
In observing and analysing social and cultural differences through chairs from eight cultures in the most populated countries, Sicilian designer Matteo Guarnaccia went on a field research to portray each country, in collaboration with select local design studios, to situate each cultural context into the form of a chair. This project diversifies the supposedly mundane parts of chair-culture and chair design, to open the conversation of identity, community and a reality divided into a global and local conglomerate expression through chairs.”
Cross Cultural Chairs is available for loan through our library. View our full catalog & reserve a book to borrow on our website. Link in bio.
The Black Male Form by @danascruggs as pictured in The New Black Vanguard: Photography Between Art and Fashion (@aperturefnd , 2019)
The New Black Vanguard is available for loan through our library. See our full catalog and reserve a book to borrow on our website. Link in bio.
New to our catalog: African Interior Design (@teneuespublishing , 2006)
“The African continent is a melting pot, reflected in a variety of societal and cultural expressions. In this vast expanse we can find examples of the most primitive traditions and the most contemporary art and architecture. While the vast Sahara desert is a natural divide between northern Africa and the rest of the continent, there is much evidence of exchange between the two zones, thanks to trade routes that crossed the continent from the earliest times. Moreover, the various colonizations, principally by European countries, left a strong imprint on the local cultures. This book takes a fascinating tour of the continent’s domestic architecture, encompassing more than 43 projects that masterfully handle every detail of structural and interior design.
While each project responds specifically to the nature of its setting, there are also common threads, such as references to tribal cultures, natural materials, and earth colors. Each project clearly reflects the times and the cultural influences on the area, and in each, the architects and designers create a unique and undeniably African style.”
Thank you for the donation @jaredtblake_
Join us on Wednesday, April 29th for the live recording of the first Reading on the Radio with Resource Library at @deepdivebk where library founder @alisonbeshai will be reading excerpts from Colors by @andrewberardini accompanied by select music compositions on vinyl.
**Please plan to arrive before the reading begins at 7:00 pm and be prepared to refrain from talking or using your cell phone during the one-hour event.**
The recording of Reading on the Radio will be uploaded online after the event and emailed to our newsletter subscribers. To join our email list, please visit the link in bio.
🖋️ @tinasnowle
Thank you to everyone who came to our member event at the Brownsville Heritage House Reading Room 2 weeks ago.
Our next member event will be on June 10th at Judd Foundation New York.
Photos by @alisonbeshai
Kasese Chair by @hellajongerius , 1999 as pictured in Hella Jongerius: Misfit (@phaidonpress , 2011)
The translation of an African prayer chair into a foldable wooden chair, named after the hometown of the carpenter whose traditional three-legged stool inspired the design.
The book Hella Jongerius: Misfit is available for loan through our library. View our full catalog and reserve a book to borrow on our website.
The Kasese Chair is currently on view at @vitradesignmuseum as part of the Hella Jongerius: Whispering Things exhibit.
MOLD Issue 04: Designing for the Senses (@thisismold , 2019) probes the ways that designing for all the senses can lead to embracing the ingredients, flavors, experiences and routines needed to address the coming food crisis.
“From understanding how the science of our multisensory wiring is fundamental to unlocking environmental and gustatory diversity to a blueprint for designing a truly sustainable, hyper-regional food ecology built on flavor, we focus on geography the shifting nature of our relationship with the built and natural environment. We question the philosophical underpinnings surrounding the hierarchy of the senses to the joy of eating with the hand and how the current landscape of human-computer interaction research that will quantify and amplify our capacity to taste.”
Available for loan through our library. View our full catalog and reserve a publication for pick-up on our website. Link in bio.
The Vitra Design Museum: Frank Gehry Architect (@rizzolibooks , 1990)
A richly illustrated monograph of Frank Gehry’s design for the @vitradesignmuseum , examining his architectural approach, creative process, and the building’s significance in contemporary architecture.
Available for loan through our library. View our full catalog and reserve a publication for pick-up on our website. Link in bio.
Our next member event is at the Brownsville Heritage House Reading Room on Wednesday, April 8th.
Attendees will take part in a private tour of the historic property, followed by the opportunity to browse the rare books and archives housed in the reading room.
The link to register will be sent to active members on Monday, March 30th. Space is limited and registration is on a first come first serve basis.
Membership to our library is $5/month and includes borrowing access to our collection of 400+ design and art publications. To become a member, please visit the link in our bio.
Brownsville Heritage House is located at 581 Mother Gaston Boulevard above the Stone Avenue Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library.
Graphic design by @fulton.studio
Photo by @alisonbeshai
Fiera was a biannual independent magazine discovering new talent at the world’s design fairs. Issue 04 was published in 2016 and covered IMM Cologne, Maison et Objet in Paris, Reykjaviík’s Design March and Milan Design Week.
“In this issue we cover projects that look for sustainable alternatives to tropical hardwoods and animal horn, designers creating routes to market that will improve the livelihoods of local people in San Paolo, and new brands using small-batch production to circumnavigate big manufacturers. And that’s not to mention the meaty topics taken on in Opinion, from the importance of finding the space for creativity to the change in copyright law and how it stands to affect design and designers.”
Available for loan through our library. View our full catalog and reserve a publication for pick-up on our website.
Design Research: Methods and Perspectives, edited by Brenda Laurel, is a 2003 @mitpress book that serves as a comprehensive anthology on design research, exploring diverse methodologies from ethnography to quantitative analysis to bridge theory and practice. It features contributions from numerous experts and covers topics like performance ethnography, design improvisation, and case studies in areas like computer games and museum systems, aiming to make design more potent and successful. The book is structured into sections on People, Form, Process, and Action, providing a rich resource for both novice and experienced designers.
Available for loan through our library. View our full catalog and reserve a publication for pick-up on our website. Link in bio.
From the archives of Charlotte Perriand, published in the book Charlotte Perriand: The Modern Life (@designmuseum , 2021)
Available for loan through our library. View our full catalog and reserve a publication for pick-up on our website.
