Far more than just a designer furniture brand, BoConcept has helped to shape modern interior décor as we know it, starting from a pure Scandinavian philosophy of modern design and evolving into a global phenomenon of style, comfort, functionality and quality.
Scandinavian design has had a large impact on what we consider to be modern architecture, cosy interiors and contemporary style, and it’s a force that has been felt on the Costa del Sol too.
The recent shift to sleek, modern architectural styling and bright, spacious open-plan interiors forms part of an international design movement, but while it is locally mostly interpreted in an Andalusian-Mediterranean way, the Scandinavian influences are undeniable even here in Marbella. Add to this the fact that the past few years have seen a large increase in the number of Scandinavian homeowners, tourists and permanent residents, and suddenly it becomes clear why Nordic design and interiors are now the leading style movement in our region. Put differently, we’ve been introduced to casual chic and contemporary hygge, and I’m not so sure we’ll ever leave it.
The man who gave Spain – and the world – the Guggenheim Museum is a master moulder of shapes, using new materials and technologies to usher in a fluid 21st century definition of architecture.
Gehry international masterpiece – the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.
Think Gehry and you picture the iconic Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, but of course this celebrated ‘starchitect’ who helped to define the shape of the modern era has many more famous edifices and projects to his name. They include the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Louis Vuitton art museum and cultural centre in Paris, the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle and the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis, to name a few. Named “the most important architect of our age” by Vanity Fair in 2010, many of Gehry’s most famous designs involve museums and other large public projects, yet he also managed to raise eyebrows and shift boundaries when creating the now-iconic academic complex – known as Building 32 – for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Not surprisingly, given his stature around the world and particularly in North America, Frank Gehry was also chosen to give shape to the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial in Washington DC. (more…)
If you can choose between Zaha Hadid, Norman Foster and the pick of the world’s architects your home is sure to be something truly special. El Nido is just that.
Amid the grand villas and mansions of the Golden Mile, La Zagaleta, Los Monteros and other prime Marbella addresses there is one property that takes residential architectural design to a new level. Set in the peaceful surroundings of La Cascada de Camoján, in the hills above Marbella, El Nido is unique in its aesthetic and practical appeal. It is a home of outstanding qualities that can be described as a masterpiece of modern Mediterranean architecture, and as such suits its Marbella setting so well.
“I wanted a villa that would make a true architectural statement as well as be a comfortable home,” says Lisa, who has played a leading role in the creation of her signature home. “A leading architect would naturally form an important part of this process, so I flirted with the idea of commissioning someone like Zaha Hadid or Norman Foster but in the end fell in love with the work of Joaquín Torres.” The Madrid-based architect is a leader in the field of villa design and has the main residences of many prominent Spanish and international clients to his name, including the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Penelope Cruz. (more…)
La Dolce Vita is a now iconic phrase that conjures images of the winding alleyways and Vespas of a vintage Italy. Imbued with a sense of glamorous freedom, the concept of young people living a hedonistic and self-indulgent life has long entered cross-cultural vernacular and leaves us lamenting our lack of Italian blood. Here, Michel Cruz traces the origins and inspirations for the phenomenon that has come to define an epoch.
While Britain and America were in the grip of the Swinging Sixties, Italy made its own unique contribution – La Dolce Vita. Literally translated as ‘the sweet life’, it embodies the sense of freedom, open possibilities and joie de vivre of the post war era.
We strive for permanence in everything we do, from installing new regimes to chasing the ultimate form of style, not realising that success, happiness and ideals are but fleeting moments. With the horrors of the Second World War and the sparseness of the immediate post war years behind it, Europe awoke like a flower in spring to a whole new world of possibilities. With Marshall Aid, the continent was rebuilding itself upon the pillars of prosperity and democracy as a tide of youthful liberalism and creativity swept through the once dusty streets. (more…)
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