DESIGN >
Design-o-rama
Written by: Štěpánka Strouhalová
Photo by: Věroslav Sixt

The first week of October will see an increased concentration of top design in our city. In one event after another, studios and showrooms will vie for a new generation of clients.

THE MOST significant studios and galleries in Prague are entering the autumn season with the fourth united show, Designblok '02. The studios are presenting the show through innovative product lines and installations set in their own authentic space. New aspects of this year's Designblok are the event's extended duration, from 1 to 6 October, and also the participation of several completely new studios, such as Locco, 3DH.Interiér and Scandium.

Visitors will enjoy many surprises, gifts, delicacies of national cuisine, advice, lectures, projections and the possibility to consult with designers, producers and merchandisers. Designblok is supposed to be accompanied by a unique last-minute, secret program. For now, we only know about the digital film festival and a special program devoted to the aesthetics of computer games.
The new concept of the Living Space showroom will place you in a model apartment and offer you "living" inspiration directly from the heart of the home: a living room and bedroom with new designs by Presotto and Vibieffe, a Zalf children's room full of color and space, an efficient Presotto kitchen and a bright Desalto dining room with plenty of accessories from Esprit.
3DH.Interiér will introduce a cabinet system by Edra, which makes it possible to arrange your own unique colorful combinations, and the fabrics of the English brand Designers Guild. Scandium opens its new design "laboratory" with new products from Scandinavian firms. Its offer includes a suspended plastic armchair, Buble Chair. Other new aspects, many special events by individual studios and a non-commercial program make this a heavyweight festival. Design Centrum ČR will present creative works by designer Jan Padrnos entitled "Nondestruction". UPM comes with an exhibition of glass items by Pavel Hlava and the shop windows of Window Gallery will display a collection by British fashion designer Shelley Fox. The National Technical Museum invites you to a series of lectures on Czech industrial design.
Any of the participating studios will provide you with a catalogue, map and a detailed program, or you can visit the information center in Veletržní palác. Entry to the presentations associated with Designblok is also free. For more information, visit www.designblok.cz..

An exhibition of glass objects by Pavel Hlava can be seen until 10 November in the Museum of Applied Arts. The sculpture above "Opar" (Haze), cut glass glued with gold foil.

Living Space opens the season with a unique showroom concept, designed as a model apartment where new items form the trade fair in Milan will be introduced..

The Grid Dome light form Delta Light, as well as over 15 thousand kinds of lights for exteriors, are included in the offer of Elios Lighting.

The Scandium offer, which comes to the market with new items form Scandinavian firms, includes the Buble Chair from Finnish designer, Eerno Aarin.