Making tea & coffee pots an art form - Modern Design;Alessi Tea & Coffee Towers exhibition

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Dec, 2003

Sipping tea and coffee has become an art form, thanks to a provocative collection of upscale sets by some of the superstars of the architectural world Alessi, the Italian manufacturer renowned for transforming everyday household objects into design icons, challenged 22 international designers, who ordinarily are deft at creating skyscrapers and other complex buildings, to apply their talents to the design of functional tea and coffee sets.

The architectural influences instantly are recognizable in several of the creations, such as the towering constructions by the Australian firm Denton, Corker, Marshall as well as the Dutch master Wiel Arets, Then there are total "landscapes" that have been fashioned for the table to include a tea or coffee pot, sugar bowl, and creamer atop a tray. Such designs were contributed by British architect Will Alsop, U.N. Studio of the Netherlands, and Future Systems, also from the United Kingdom. The designs by Zaha Hadid, who is London-based and one of the darlings of the industry, and by Thom Mayne of Morphosis in Los Angeles, Calif., are startling sculptural formations that have been likened to supersonic spaceships.

More organic interpretations have been offered by SANAA, the Japanese team comprised of Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, who envisioned a sterling silver basket of fruits, while Australian Tom Kovac imagined egg-shaped elements that sit neatly within their crate-like tray. American Greg Lynn's creation has been compared to a clove of garlic, an exquisite concept that is executed in titanium, making it one of the most visually dynamic in the group.

Though silver is the predominant Metal--a nod to traditionalists and what is most typically used to fabricate fine tea and coffee services--the architects exercise great freedom in choosing the materials for their works. Gary Chang added Chinese red clay in the production of his set since it is indigenous to his homeland--thus paying homage to his heritage. France's Jean Nouvel had the interior of his design gilded to resemble the color of coffee and tea and and then had an inscription about the joys of coffee added along the circumference of the rims. Alessandro Mendini, who collaborated with Alessi to spearhead this project, selected wood because he loves the warmth of the material and feels it helps to convey what tea and coffee represent.

The original "Alessi Tea & Coffee Piazza" project of 1983 yielded services by up-and-comers such as Richard Meier, Charles Jenks, Aldo Rossi, and Michael Graves.

"Alessi Tea & Coffee Towers" will be on view Jan. 31-May 2, 2004, at the Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, Ohio. It then will travel to the Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., June 4-Sept. 19, 2004.