The work of Erick van Egeraat has intrigued my imagination since the beginning of my architectural studies.  After having the opportunity to visit one of his more unique buildings, that encompass his design philosophy, I wanted to learn more of his process and projects.

Erick van Egeraat and his architecture firm’s recent success in mostly Eastern Europe and Russian can be contributed to his unique design philosophy and his specific vision that is demonstrated differently in each of his projects.  Erick van Egeraat strives to create and bring out the identity of each site through his projects not in a literal traditional sense, but rather relying on one’s sense for intuitive sensual qualities of delight and the sense for aesthetic.  His architecture takes inspiration from fashion and he believes architecture, as it always has, should be a true representation of its time.  Of course his interpretations may be subjective and his projects are in fact often controversial, he has won numerous design awards internationally.  In his own words, he describes his architecture as “both/and not either/or.  Some call his style in a way a “Modern Baroque� as it relies heavily on the senses and is highly ornate and intricate tectonically, but using a modern language of abstraction. 

In numerous projects showcased in my inspiration study, Erick van Egeraat’s continued attempts to abstract large building facades and break down the conventional look of building elevations has been my main focus of interest.  There is a certain level of complexity and repetition, which is hardly recognized making each building piece feel unique, but part of a large composition that evoke the senses.  Experiencing his ING Head Office in Budapest has given me another level of insight in understanding his philosophies through his work.   

 Egeraat, E. V. “Designed by Erick van Egeraat”. 2011. May 7. <http://www.erickvanegeraat.com/#/projects/ing_head_office_budapest>

Egeraat, E. V. (2005). Erick van Egeraat Associate ARchtiects: 10 years realized works. Mulgrave: Images Publishing.

Thought I would post this in case people were interested in looking at their work some more. I also included a shot of someone building a frame for one of their pieces, to give some idea about the production of these luminaires. Their website is http://www.aquagallery.com.  Cheers.

For general inspiration for my light fixture design, I have been searching through many Product Design books and magazines.  In Design Now! (pp. 78-83), written by Charlotte & Peter Fiell, I came across the creative work of Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec.  These brothers collaborate on projects ranging from Persian Rugs to CNC milled chairs to fabric screens.  They site their very different personalities and design styles as the success of their collaboration.  Their work focuses on the adaptive use of traditional geometries, the conglomeration of pieces to make greater wholes, and the vivid use of color in nontraditional and unexpected ways.

I was first drawn to their work when I saw the project ‘North Tiles.’  This project is a series of prefabricated fabric wall tiles that are used to manipulate interior environments.  The panels have a foam core that also makes them sound absorbing.  When I began researching their work further, I found two additional projects that inspired me with the work I am doing for light and shadow.  Both ‘Rocs’ and ‘Clouds’ work with prefabricated pieces that are integrated to make larger installations.  The felt tiles used in ‘Clouds’ are strung together  and can be bent and warped in interesting ways to create dynamic shapes.  The softness of the material used and the play of intense color makes these installations attractive.

You can search through all of the Bourollec Brother’s work on their design website, http://www.bouroullec.com/.   The projects I have shown are only a small part of their amazing work.

All of the images that I have included in this post come from this website.  The images are grouped by project in the order ‘clouds,’ ‘rocs,’ and then ‘north tiles.’