.Wonder Book by IFDM is a quarterly publication dedicated to interior design and architecture projects from around the world. The September issue, out now, has a common theme, that of water, told through projects that are different but share a common relationship with this element. From seaside villas and resorts to marinas and yachts.
A story of projects and water
by Ruben Modigliani – Editor-in-Chief
There is a photo in this new publication of the .Wonder Book series that I find particularly full of meaning; it is of the installation designed by the artist Jef Meyer for the 2024 Beaufort Triennial on the Belgian coast. A micro-architecture on the beach, this is a tower to be climbed to take in a view of the sea. It tells the story of an idea, that of the “horizon,” a concept both geographical and philosophical; the idea of the boundary, the distant, unknown place that is a part of us in a sense.
This is a connecting thread throughout the pages of this publication, a journey exploring the many ways we have of living in the world of water, an element from which we come and of which we are made. The projects we have chosen all give form to this feeling in a vast variety of expressions. There is the archaic minimalism of a house in Crete, luxury tied to sustainability in a resort on the Red Sea, high-tech content, and the definition of a new concept of traveling in state-of-the-art yachts (a sector that is now very dynamic, involving an increasing number of large architecture and design firms.) We find the infinite facets of one of our most defining human instincts – to build – in a dialogue with the oldest element. The journey continues.
The adventure of designing
by Alessandra Bergamini – Deputy Editor of .Wonder Book
As every architect will say, traveling is fundamental for creating architecture. I think it is fair to say that designing architecture or “scapesm” whether landscape, cityscape, naturescape, or waterscape, inherently involves undertaking an adventure. It is a fundamental journey to explore the context, whether very near or very distant, always the fruit of a complex mix of history, culture, nature, and experience. Exploration is essential to successfully design a vision on the site, heightening its value and power. As Stéphanie Ledoux and Reda Amalou of the Paris-based studio AW2 say in their interview: “Architectural expression is also part of where we are. And this is true especially in hospitality when people travel to understand other cultures. Giving meaning to buildings by anchoring them to the place where they’ve been designed and built, this is really critical to works of architecture.”
This idea is borne out by all the projects chosen for this .Wonder Book Fall 2024. The projects range from those envisioning new blue-green urbanscapes like the Klaksvik Row Club in the Fær Øer isalnds, the Pier 57 on Manhattan‘s waterfront, the Port of Montreal Tower, the Quality Hotel Richard With on the Norwegian archipelago of Vesterålen, and the Kyjov Aquapark in the Czech Republic to those that aspire to absorb/be absorbed in the surrounding landscape and nature, like the Spa Atmosphere in the Austrian Alps, the Carbon Beach House in Malibu, the Mexican Clubhouse San Nicolas, and the St. Regis Red Sea Resort. Others are situated on islands in the Mediterranean area, such as the Villa O Lofos in Crete and the Capofaro Locanda & Malvasia retreat built in an abandoned lighthouse in Salina.
Some of the projects are like sailing islands themselves, such as the motor and sailing yachts of Azimut, Mangusta, Pershing, Tankoa, Tecnomar, Sunreef, Swan, and the Explora Journey cruise ship. They are all ready for a journey of exploration between nature and culture, seizing opportunities to find new knowledge and experiences.
