Designist Dream

One of the perks of Designist, is meeting all sorts of cool and creative people in Israel and around the world. Daniel Fintzi is one of those people: cool, creative and taking China by storm. Born in Tel Aviv, Fintzi went on to study and work in Milan and Paris - where he interned with Arik Levy (sigh). He wrote me overjoyed to read a ‘quality’ blog in English about Israel’s design scene. And I wrote him back overjoyed to not only receive such high praise from a designer, but also to learn more about the interesting designs featured on his website - ranging from underwear to tableware and everything in between.

Fintzi’s workspace above really caught my eye though. The combination of a glass-topped table with a three-wheeled bicycle cart base and those design-cannon Panton chairs? Wow. What an inspiring junction: there are the materials - glass, metal and wood and plastic - each referring to a different era, craft, method of production and endproduct; there are the aesthetics, the pure glass as a luxury item, the bicycle as a practical, tradesman item and the panton chairs as, well, just a groundbreaking design, plastic-meets-furniture item; and then there’s the message, which to me, was ethereal though grounded. As if you’re on a tangible, heavy bicycle cart but you’re floating in a dream world where cloud-like amorphous white chairs and see-through glass crisp air fuel your creative energies.

But don’t take my word(s) for it. I asked Daniel about his approach and design for this workspace and here’s what he had to say:

The bicycle cart is the conference\kitchen table for the Shanghai headquarters of ?WHATIF! creative innovation company. Based in London WhatIf helps companies to find new ways to innovate people, products and brands and meet changing client needs through unconventional research methods. Usually they come a step before the ad agencies… Coming to Shanghai I’ve been freelancing on collaborative projects for an international interior design company with a local branch called PDM International. Mostly I was creating original furniture pieces for their projects. A friend working with WhatIf came to me with the office design project, so I was able to really design the entire project (but I worked with PDM for the construction and project management so I can’t take all the credit).

In Shanghai, WhatIf had found this old towel factory which they wanted to convert into an office; they wanted to keep an open space while maintaining a warm feeling, and always relating the space and design to Shanghai. They also needed spaces to be easily convertible based on their changing schedules - workshops, events, meetings, presentations, etc. This explains the concrete and wood combination, wood marking the “live” area of the office. The trike was supposed to be a mobile meeting spot, but eventually we decided to convert it into a dining\meeting table. Together with the Panton chair, it creates a sort of fusion between the entrance’s chinese furniture and the office at the back with the workstations.

Overall, I think the effect is eclectic yet coherent. And the design certainly both breeds and reflects creativity and inspiration. I for one would love, love, love to work in a place like this. How about you?