AT IDS TORONTO:
This year’s international guest of honour, the self-taught British design powerhouse, is known for his innovative approach to everything from tabletop accessories to hotel interiors. Along with his Azure Trade Talk, Dixon’s engagement at IDS will include the Toronto Ice Kitchen — a collaboration with Caesarstone that was motivated by the craggy, grey and white ice formations left in the wake of icebreakers channeling through Canada’s frozen lakes. Meanwhile, Klaus by Nienkämper will be showcasing a number of his most sought-after products.
As co-founder of architecture and design studio Snøhetta, Craig Dykers has been involved in numerous influential international projects, from the Alexandria Library in Egypt to the Ryerson Learning Centre in Toronto. Currently spearheading the multidisciplinary firm’s expansion of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the building of the new Central Public Library in Calgary, Alberta, Dykers will be sharing his well-founded philosophies about design in another Azure Trade Talk.
As creative director of experimental lighting company Bocci, Vancouver’s Omer Arbel (right) is known for continuously pushing the limits of materials and technologies and taking them in new and unexpected directions. Relatively new on the scene, Omar Gandhi registered his Halifax design studio as an architectural practice in 2012 with the principal that good architecture does not need to be expensive. Two years later, the Brampton, Ontario-born practitioner was awarded the Canada Council for the Arts Professional Prix de Rome. Representing both of Canada’s coasts, Arbel and Gandhi will speak about achieving international success.
AT TODO:
Superkül and FELT, Wednesday, January 20, 6:30 pm
For the TODO talks, Andre D’Elia and Meg Graham (founders of Toronto architecture firm Superkül, centre and right) and Kathryn Walter (of multi-disciplinary studio FELT) come together for a spirited discussion at their joint venture – Aesop’s first Canadian signature store at 880 Queen Street West. Opened last summer, the sleek, industrial design by the architects is complemented by a tactile feature wall by FELT. Visit the TODO website for more information.
For the third year in a row, Toronto retailer Mjölk (2959 Dundas Street West) is hosting a retrospective exhibition on the work of Japanese designer Oji Masanori. This year includes a commissioned collection of lighting and tableware designed by Masanori that will be produced by Canadian artisans and producers. Melanie Egan, head of Craft & Design at Harbourfront Centre, sits down with Masanori and Mjölk to talk about their upcoming collection. Visit the TODO website for more information.