Heineken Open Design Explorations Flies SnOOp to Tokyo

Five clubs in one night in Tokyo was the challenge set before us to research design inspiration for the future night club being launched in Milan Furniture Fair 2012. Heineken Open Design Explorations has young designers in New York, São Paulo,l, Milan and Tokyo researching and developing the future club. Each designer is set the challenge to look at young clubbers behaviour along with the design in each location. Things we looked out for were interiors, graphics, light installation and fashion.

Our five Tokyo designers who I toured with for the night were Alastair Townsend, Interior designer, Yukihiro Shoda, Motion designer, Kazuhiko Hayakawa, Product designer and Miku Sega, Interior Designer. It was hilarious we were all running around taking pictures and filming at each location.

Our first club was Air.

Our first club Air in Daikanyama district. This is the club Sofia Coppola famously shot some scenes of "Lost In Translation."This was one of my favourite club visit. The interiors had a large dance floor and on the sides there were private areas you could sit with friends and hear each other talk. We got there a tad early so the dance floor was begging for more dancers.

The clubs we visited in the night were all located in basements in residential areas with each venue having a quiet sign

Next stop was Unit. Here, the music and the crowd are completely different.

One of the simple design highlights for me were the lockers provided at each venue. It has always been my biggest drag when I go out dancing is having my handbag and not knowing what to do with it.

In the main area, the DJ plays a mixture of hip-hop, electro and trip-hop. People listen rather than dance, more like a concert-style scenario. One floor down, a bar provides an area for relaxing and chatting with friends. The one design flaw I find with clubs is people trying to find a quiet spot to speak on mobile phones. Impossible.

Next stop is the Ebisu district, destination Liquidroom. The first area is a large quiet bar; the music isn't too loud and it's easy to relax and interact with others. Downstairs there's a food area, once again almost without music, where club-goers can relax, drink, smoke and eat traditional street food. In the next room, a large dance floor is crowded with revelers drawn to the music played by Mungolian Jetset, a bunch of colorful and pretty peculiar guys in love with the sounds of the Italo Disco and '80s music. The crowd really appreciates the performance, dancing and screaming throughout.

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daf

OMG we made it. I can't remember the last time I did an all nighter.

B'Like Ilse Crawford

Music: Clarity  | Videography: Michael Fardell | Styling: Barry Lorne Freedman | Location: IVY

It's no secret I adore the work and philosophies of human centric British Designer Ilse Crawford and her infamous studio Studioilse. I believe I am not alone here. I have worked with editors, designers and architects quoting "What would Ilse Crawford do?". I thought it would be fun and a little bit cheeky to ask Australian band Clarity and videographer Michael Fardell to pay tribute to the design world mover and shaker Ilse Crawford who blew the cobwebs out of bad interiors by her golden touch on anything from editing magazines and designing hotels to furniture. 

Thank you : 

Acne, Driesvan Noten, Songfor the Mute,  Chroniclesof Never,  MaisonMartin Margiela,  RobbyIngham,  EmporioArmani,  TomFord Eyewear 

I'm bringing out a book for 2012

Guess where Mikkel Vang and I are at the moment? Yes just another day photographing the book and yes I'm still hiding my banged up face. Three locations to shoot today and then on the Eurostar to London.

I'm bringing out a book for 2012

 

Antwerp over and out... Mikkel and I have finished photographing our locations in Antwerp. I have never been there before but wow what a beautiful city. I would love to come back here. 

However, I did have a little accident in Antwerp. Memories me stumbling in the middle of the street, hands in pockets, face first on the road. Ouch... Result, black eye, grazed face, massive swollen lips. Not my best look. This is me in one of our cool Antwerp homes hiding my face. I can't show you because it will gross you out. It is pretty hard going into a homeowners house with this banged up face.

I'm bringing out a book for 2012

Mikkel Vang and I are touring Amsterdam at the moment for the book. This is what we do when the owners of the home duck out for a couple of hours.

I'm bringing out a book for 2012

An exclusive SnOOp behind the scenes of Mikkel Vang photographing on our first day at our first location in Copenhagen for our new book being launched for Christmas 2012.

Heineken Open Design Explorations Flies SnOOp to Tokyo

A couple of weeks ago I got to speak at my first Pecha Kuchu in Sydney, Australia. I was the last to speak which meant with no dinner, two beers mixed with nerves and alcohol I was slightly tipsy... Um it wasn't my proudest moment. But then I thought about the space, Super Deluxe where Pechu Kuchu originated in Tokyo.  Co-founder, Mark Dytham, from the TED like talks gave me a personal tour when I was in Tokyo for the  Heineken Open Design Explorations. The interiors were temporary, fun and had an easy going feel. So me having a good time, being a little tipsy and making people laugh suited the environment the talks begun.

 From the street front we walked down a kitch wallpaper stairwell

 The warehouse-style-club has a derelict shop feel about it but the folk inside are sporting avant-gard outfits.

 The space is used for dancing and thinking

Young local video artists had a craft bag of goodies they put under a camera and used a video mixer to create inspiring images projected onto the wall

 One of the cool projections created

 Mark blowing into ceramic bird that tweets a beautiful sound

 This is me standing in front of the projected ceramic bird. I'm wearing a Cos shirt my new fave high-street fashion brand

Avant Garde womens toilets are not quiet how I would describe them but was worth a visit

 To find the smiley face toilet rolls.

 

 The sinks were salvaged from an old school. Check out those taps. 

If you go to Tokyo make sure you go and visit Super Deluxe. It was my favourite club visit.