Dwell on Design 2012

This year, Dwell Magazine holds their seventh annual design exposition in Los Angeles on June 22-24. Dwell anticipates over 23,000 visitors will attend Dwell on Design, riding an upward trend of attendance at the largest design event on the West Coast.

The week leading up to the start of the expo on Friday is known as Dwell Design Week and was kicked off on Friday the 15th with the popular Meet the Architects event. Attendees had the opportunity to listen to renowned architects discuss the design and process behind some of the most striking modern homes profiled by Dwell. This week and on Saturday, Dwell will hold a home tour of both the West and East sides of Los Angeles.

Oyler Wu Collaborative has been working tirelessly for months on their next art installation which will be unveiled and displayed at the expo. Oyler Wu is a Los Angeles-based international architecture and design company created by partners Dwayne Oyler and Jenny Wu, the firm is known for its modern and often experimental design. Both partners teach design studio at the Southern California Institute of Architecture and have won awards for their book Plane Pendulum which they published in 2009. They are known for bold art installations such as reALIze, which honors the boxer Muhammad Ali with a complex sculpture.

New at Dwell on Design this year is the Screening Lounge, sponsored by Design Onscreen and the Stephanie Odegard Collection. Four films are to be shown: Modern Tide, a film about midcentury architecture found on New York’s Long Island; Desert Utopia, about midcentury homes in Palm Springs, California; Contemporary Days will follow the impact, especially in Britain, that Lucienne and Robin Day had upon furniture design as we know it; Hella Jongerius follows the Dutch designer of the same name, who has developed a reputation for excellence in product design.

The Swiss Design Prize event is a celebration of Swiss product design, which is known to be meticulous and thorough, ranging from fashion to furniture. The competition is held every two years and makes a global tour, the first American stop of which will be Dwell on Design. This is a unique opportunity to see the best design coming out of Switzerland and perhaps gain insight into a culture that continues to innovate and maintain a reputation of quality.

Several art and design schools will be exhibiting student work on the exhibitor floor, making this an ideal event for students and prospective students interested in pursuing a career in design. Schools attending include Art Center College of Design, Southern California Institute of Architecture, Woodbury University,UCLA, Otis College of Art and Design, USC, and California Polytechnic of Pomona.

Ron Cogan, of Green Car Journal, will be organizing ride-along and test-drive trips in a range of low-emission cars. Included are hybrids by Infiniti, Acura, and Volkswagon in addition to electric cars by Chevy, Fisker, Audi, and Ford. Most unusual, Volkswagon will have a Passat running on biodiesel and Mercedes will be trying out hydrogen vehicle. This event serves as a reminder that keeping design innovation moving forward is important not just for the aesthetics of our environment, but for providing us with better technology for core needs such as transportation.

In addition to the plethora of activities and attractions organized by Dwell, there will be over 350 exhibitors at the show. Companies will be vying to draw visitors to their newest products, ranging from water fixtures to outdoor furniture. Native Trails is utilizing social media by giving away prizes to several visitors who “like” their Facebook page and one lucky winner will win the Solace mirror from their new Renewal collection. Contestants can double their chances by also commenting on their Facebook page. Graff Faucets, maker of the new Davide Oppizzi-designed Ametis collection of bath fixtures, is also utilizing social media by inviting visitors to participate in an iPad giveaway during the exposition.

Dwell on Design this year is certain not to disappoint, as visitors will enjoy events and services not typical of design trade shows. The weekend of the show has been laid out with both the student and professional in mind, with enough activities, speakers, and exhibitors to keep one busy and informed. Our editors are attending, and we will be bringing you updates and insights into what the modern design of today and tomorrow looks like.