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Philippe Malouin goes for a brutalist effect, while Bensen pursues an international style. Two unique furniture lines are bom BRUTE POWER With his first Gridlock collection, Philippe Malouin erected white cages that incorporated the functionality of lamps, mobiles and tables, with finishes in smooth black concrete. The desired effect? Small - scale architecture for the home. When it came time to evolve the collection, the Laval, Quebec - born industrial designer sought a bigger theme: he toured the Golden Lane Estate Council housing complex and the Barbican Estate residences, both designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, and both prime examples of London brutalist architecture. To convey the geometry and heft of the architectural movement, the follow - up series pushes the industrial materials even further. His pyramidal Svetko chandelier, towerlike Scarpa desk and caged Powell Bowl, for instance, contrast brass tube lattices against concrete slabs and blocks sandblasted to expose the aggregate. "I chose materials that reflect my references. Sandblasted concrete is extremely symbolic of that period," explains Malouin. "But I decided to use brass to create a sense of refinement, like that seen in Carlo Scarpas work."
Philippe Malouin goes for a brutalist effect, while Bensen pursues an international style. Two unique furniture lines are bom
BRUTE POWER
With his first Gridlock collection, Philippe Malouin erected white cages that incorporated the functionality of lamps, mobiles and tables, with finishes in smooth black concrete. The desired effect? Small - scale architecture for the home. When it came time to evolve the collection, the Laval, Quebec - born industrial designer sought a bigger theme: he toured the Golden Lane Estate Council housing complex and the Barbican Estate residences, both designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, and both prime examples of London brutalist architecture. To convey the geometry and heft of the architectural movement, the follow - up series pushes the industrial materials even further. His pyramidal Svetko chandelier, towerlike Scarpa desk and caged Powell Bowl, for instance, contrast brass tube lattices against concrete slabs and blocks sandblasted to expose the aggregate. "I chose materials that reflect my references. Sandblasted concrete is extremely symbolic of that period," explains Malouin. "But I decided to use brass to create a sense of refinement, like that seen in Carlo Scarpas work." MULTICULTURED The dramatically high - backed Park lounger, a modern take on traditional English wingback chairs, is just one of the latest offerings to display the worldliness of Vancouver manufacturer Bensen. Its run by Danish - born designer Niels Bendsten. And it now produces some of its furnishings in Pordenone, Italy, a bold move it made in 2010 to establish itself in the European market. Clearly, Bensen is doing something right: its simple, clean - lined pieces look classic yet fresh, and many defy stylistic labelling as Canadian, Italian or Danish. Another new issue, the oak and walnut Torii dining chair, is named after the Japanese word for "bird perch," and it achieves the airy, lightweight feel of modern Japanese furnishings while employing traditional mortise and tenon joinery. You might say Bensen has the global design thing down pat
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