3form’s 2023 Color Collection Nails Down Hard-to-Find Hues

Color is a very subjective quality in the eye of the beholder but leading materials manufacturer 3form continues to prove that it has its finger on the pulse when it comes to creating and curating colors that the design community is looking for. For its 2023 Color Collection, the brand is adding 10 new pastel hues to its permanent color system, offering new ways to brighten up commercial environments. “Color is at the core of what we do, and this collection allowed us to be more introspective about the meaning of color in our lives,” shares Ryan Smith, 3form’s Chief Creative Officer.

The new collection is inspired by the four seasons and the emotions they evoke, like the blues of a winter day and the purple tones found in spring. To begin the process of expanding its color system, the design team at 3form first laid out swatches of current colors in order to identify missing colors. They noticed an opportunity to introduce soft, subtle versions of their saturated tones and, in the end, settled on 10 new hues: Lavish, Graceland, Alta, Smolder, Honeycomb, Rhubarb, Talc, Cedarwood, Adobe, and Comet.

The colors can be applied to 3form’s Varia, Chroma, and Glass platforms that can be constructed into partitions, wall accents, reception desk wraps, ceiling features, and more for public spaces like offices, hotels, schools, hospitals, and wellness centers. The translucency of 3form’s materials brings the colors to life, especially when natural light, which gradually changes throughout the day, diffuses through.

For more information on 3form’s 2023 Color Collection, head to 3-form.com.

SPACE10’s New Headquarters Is Very Community-Centric

SPACE10 is looking a little different since we visited it last. The Copenhagen-based research and design lab recently unveiled its redesigned headquarters completed in collaboration with architecture and design studio Spacon & X. While two levels of the three-floor building will remain the same, with the basement as a fabrication laboratory/tech studio and the top floor as a workspace for the SPACE10 team, the main floor has been fully transformed into a community-centric space, even more so then before. New additions, including a public library with a take-a-book-leave-a-book system, foster an environment that’s conducive for community exchange and creative ideation.

Inspired by the concept of a newsstand, the public library with its modular racks and displays will feature 100 books, magazines, and titles for kids – all hand-selected by the SPACE10 team, as well as input from guest curators and the community. This selection will change throughout the year with new, relevant titles. A book exchange is also available where guests can simply leave a book and take a different one home. The racks, made from locally-sourced organic wood, wool, and Danish-produced aluminum, add a delightful pop of color to the white tiled space.

Our methodology has always centered on involving people in research and design processes in order to continue to diversify our perspectives and create solutions that truly matter for the many. We learned in a recent SPACE10 survey that 87% of our community follow us for ‘inspiration and new ideas’, while 59% want to be part of a ‘like-minded community.’ This felt like an opportunity to provide the community with a physical space that can be used for research, discussions, and meetups, and share books we at SPACE10 find inspiring and that are shaping our own conversations and projects. We want to foster spaces where people and ideas can meet, and what better than a library to provide serendipitous encounters and conversations on a daily basis.

– Kevin Curran, Spatial Design & Partnerships at SPACE10

Next to the library is a kiosk where visitors can check out and purchase local drinks and snacks while they enjoy the space. Guests can also buy a souvenir from a curated selection of design objects including stationery, homewares, toys, books, and SPACE10 merchandise.

The rest of the space will function as usual. A program of events, always free to attend, will continue to highlight new guests and cultivate a space for discussion, conversation, and inspiration. The gallery area will host two exhibitions a year, with this year’s The Ideal City 2040 installation currently on view through spring 2023. Around the floor, various seating options, from window stools to reading nooks, allow guests to relax, enjoy a coffee, work, study, or check out the books from the featured library.

Photos by Seth Nicolas unless otherwise noted.

Wire Grids Visually Break up the Open Layout of This Flatiron Office

Brooklyn- and San Francisco-based interdisciplinary design studio Office of Tangible Space recently completed the global headquarter office of ScienceIO, a healthcare AI platform that transforms medical text into data that can help improve patient care. The new interiors are bright, airy, and inviting, thanks to its material palette of oak, stone, and lime wash. Several distinctive features, including custom white wire grid room dividers and custom furnishings, set the office parts from similar project types.

While there’s no shortage of natural light in this office, OTS created custom standing desks that feature a curved armature that holds a pendant lamp. This allows the desk to be raised or lowered without affecting the height or rewiring of the lamp in case the desk needs to be moved. This hybrid desk typology frees the user from the restraints of typical desk solutions and offers flexibility and mobility while working.

The wire room dividers help to designate zones within the open layout of the office without completely blocking off the rooms, while also adding spatial and visual interest in a minimalistic way.

A variety of minimalist pendant fixtures can be found throughout the office. Some add a bold impact with their size or color, others fade from the ceiling as to avoid drawing the eyes up towards the convoluted maze of piping and duct vents.

Lush greenery and wood furnishings add natural textures and tones to the mostly white office. In the conference room, a calming accent wall painted in a grassy lime wash repeats the zen-like theme.

Project Team of Michael Yarinsky, Kelley Perumbeti, Zoë Mowat.
Photos by Charlie Schuck.