Reviving A Design Icon: A Story of Family and Craft (Documentary)
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- Опубликовано: 6 фев 2025
- When artist Mika Utzon Popov had a chance encounter with Ben Kerr, founder of Eco Outdoor, neither man could have foretold that the meeting would lead to a world-first design collaboration: the reimagining of a sofa, originally created by Utzon Popov’s grandfather, Sydney Opera House architect Jørn Utzon, for the family residence, Can Feliz, on the Spanish island of Mallorca. Utzon Popov and his mother Lin worked with Eco Outdoor to bring what is the first private Jørn Utzon furniture design to market ¬in a unique, three-generational collaboration.
At first, Utzon Popov and Lin Utzon, a renowned creative in her own right, were unsure about a private piece of family furniture coming into the world at large. “Because of the heritage of my father, there was a hesitation on my part,” Lin recalls. Her son felt similarly but “the enthusiasm Ben has for creating ideas and projects is really infectious. And when he and Matt [Lorrain, Eco Outdoor’s head of furniture] came to us, there was such an understanding and integrity around treating this the right way and making sure everyone was on board.”
Jørn’s sofa design, which was inspired by benches he created for Copenhagen’s Bagsværd Church, has been reimagined as the nexus of a stunning eight-piece outdoor collection, comprising a lounge chair, gallery bench, daybed, dining table, dining bench and high and low stools. Crafted from fine-sanded sustainable teak and teak laminations using a combination of high-tech and handmade processes, the pieces combine Jørn’s original vision, Lin’s subsequent modifications and Eco Outdoor’s meticulous refinements to create an outdoor furniture collection defined by its materiality and visual simplicity.
“My approach was to treat the original piece as a library of design detail and, as it’s iterated over different types, to make sure those details were incorporated into the new designs,” says Matt Lorrain. “The original piece is in solid section teak but it’s becoming hard for us to source teak in that sort of section and size, so we’ve made solid planks in laminations to get the same feeling in the timber - and I think it has worked beautifully.”
Bullnose detailing, trussed legs and offset plank placement served as the
design language for the original; larger section planks curve on leading edges and are square cut on internal intersections in the modern revision. The cushioned pieces feature Italian hopsack-weave outdoor fabric in a light sand shade, while exposed stainless-steel hardware and fittings on the dining table and benches reflect a minimalist design aesthetic.
“I think we’ve been able to treat the original product with respect and to work with Mika and Lin in a way that honours the design and the family lineage,” says Lorrain. “Also making sure it had the same kind of expression and character as the original.”
Both Utzon Popov and his mother are thrilled with the result. “My father would be very happy to see that his sofa became something else and [part of] a big collection,” says Lin. Her son agrees: “I’m very proud of what we’ve made. Its final form is so close to the intention of the original piece - it’s really beautiful.”
00:00 - An Introduction to Mika Utzon Popov
00:51 - Different Design Processes
01:40 - The Initial Collaboration and Ideas
02:52 - An Introduction to Lin Utzon
03:51 - The Original Bench Design
04:17 - An Expanded Collection
04:52 - The Material Palette
05:22 - Respecting History and Memories
06:15 - Proud Moments
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Photography by Alana Landsberry.
Styling by Lucy Gough.
Filmed by O&Co Homes and Nobre Filmes.
Edited by The Local Production.
Production by The Local Production.
Location: Australia
The Local Project acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners of the land in Australia. We recognise the importance of Indigenous peoples in the identity of our country and continuing connections to Country and community. We pay our respect to Elders, past and present and extend that respect to all Indigenous people of these lands.
#Design #Icon #Story
We hope you all enjoyed the incredible story behind this unique collaboration that honours the incredible legacy of Jørn Utzon. It's been inspiring to see this iconic sofa design - originally created for Can Feliz - brought into the world, thanks to the creative vision of Mika Utzon Popov, Lin Utzon, and the amazing team at Eco Outdoor. For more of the latest and greatest in architecture and design, be sure to order a copy of our new trio of hardcover books - Habitats: City, Coast and Forest: thelocalproject.com.au/product/habitats-city-coast-forest/
i'm glad that the hesitation regarding intellectual property was overcome. creations are made, then, reiterated & regenerated. as a creative myself, i'd be satisfied by the evolution. much better than letting it die.
Thank you for sharing this storytelling about family, design and love. It is inspirational.
Beautiful art pieces of furniture, that I sure share the essence of Jørn Utzon creations, live on.
Magnifique ,grandiose .😍
Nice video - very interesting 😎
Sublime content, my compliments to the Chef!
очень домашняя и живая атмосфера творчества. спасибо.
Excellent ❤
Super video
Outstanding video ❤
Very good❤
Excellent
Good vedio
Nice video 📸
So nice.
beautiful
wonderful
Nice video. Thanks.
Awesome
The beauty of this video brought tears to my eyes.
Get a grip of yourself, it is a freakin pretentious architecture video!
Very nice
Nice
I am intrigued to see the name Utzon Popov. My father worked with Jorn Utzon. My father designed and built our first family home in Castlecrag, Sydney Australia, selling the home onto the Popov family. I’m curious if this is the same Popov family?
The surname Popov is a very common Russian surname. In ancient times, this name was given to the descendants of Russian *Priest*. In Russia, you can meet thousands of people with this surname. I believe that quite a few of them have moved to Australia and Denmark.
@@KristinaZhukova-p9j Yes, I understand the name Popov is common in Russia. To see the name Utzon Popov not so much. I’m of the understanding that a Popov familiar member (from the family that brought our home) married into the Utzon family (connected to Jorn) so I have a sense Mika (having grown up between Australia and Denmark), may be a part of this family? Again I was intrigued and curious to see the name Utzon Popov. Thank you.
Beautiful stuff.. would like to know the music used in the video though!
Wow
where was Lin's home located? I heard her say Denmark and then Spain, but I couldn't understand, perhaps the city, they were referring to when referencing visiting Lin in the home? The Yorker? I'd love to look up that mountainous region. I love the Mediterranean feel, and creative, inspiring energy inside the home. As someone else mentioned, it would be an absolute treat to see more of and learn of the stories within that space.
it's Majorca in Spain
@@sharrebenezer ah, thank you! Right in the Mediterranean and so close to my ancestral roots in Sicily. No wonder I feel such a resonance and connection.
Can Feliz is located in Felanitx, just at the bottom of Castell de Santueri, and Sant Salvador, but in the images it is shown Es Port de Sóller, at the other side of the island, and also Cala Murada, a sea spot near Felanitx.
Beautiful documentation of the PROCESS! Inspiring❤
We couldn't agree more!
Nice position
This was a great video, but a "documentary" should be more than 7 minutes. 15min minimum. Could you do a video on Ln Utzon's home? That looks fantastic in it's own right.
The good uncles and aunty.
Great cinematic and music, but too much focus on details and talking and too little overal presentation, which makes the perspective fragmented and you loose the whole picture in the close shots.
Don’t get me wrong it is very nice but I just don’t see what is the big deal, I have seen similar in many other places so I don’t see what is the big deal about it, I am not saying it is not nice but I am saying it has been done before
Same… lol I was like okay so it’s a bench.. a nice bench.
iam with you all the way, and i dont want to silence the work, but not earth shattering not innovative... but nice ☮
$8500 for the sofa....
Dopy old fashioned furniture. Because of the woky negative thinking we have to see today, we have to look at this untalented childish stuff
Thank you, I mean I didn’t go as far as you but I just don’t see what is the big deal about it. What is new? What is creative about, it has been done before I just don’t get it.
Lots of judgement in this comment- maybe just relax and let go. It’s only furniture after all.
Who hurt you?
Wonderful
Awesome
Nice
Wow
Nice
Nice