spaces axismundi

8/4/2019 Spaces Axismundi

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Multi-MediuMAxis MundiDsn coms n manydffrnt forms. Wat Spacs oftn fndourslvs daln wthdsnrs who worksolly n on mdum,b t archtctur orntrors, furnturor art. Rarly do youcom across a frmthat transrsssths ndvdual fldsto work n all aras atonc. But Axs Munds on such company.

WORDS: Frus McShaniMAgeS: Courtsy of Axs Mund

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HOMe SPACewww.pacmagaz.co.k

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F ounder John Beckmann explainsthat the New York-based Axis Mundiis a multi-disciplinary design studio.‘I don’t draw divisions betweendierent disciplines, they all inormeach other,’ says Beckmann. ‘Thesame thinking goes into any o theelds. It’s a continuum.’

Essentially the studio works inthree elds: architecture, interiordesign and urniture design. When

you look at the projects the rmundertakes, every aspect o their work

is treated as a separate entity. Butthese individual areas seem to inormand enhance each other, creating acyclical design process, but one thatis always moving orward to createsomething new.

With Beckmann taking on such a varied mixture o projects, the priority or him is not to get bogged down inone particular strand o architecture,interior design, urniture design orsculpture. The thoughtul way in

which he appraises each project is a

‘I try to approach furniture design like an artist would,because otherwise you just get caught up in this plastic chair

throw-away kind of culture.’

above & previous page

Each room in the Greenwich Town

House has it’s own unique personality

left

Car exhausts make for an interesting

and unique series of lamps.

P H O t O : A n d r w G a r n





He declares himself on the ‘artsy’ side of design, with the desireto be positioned between the different mediums.

large part o what makes his multi-aceted company work. Like many o the great designers, he considersevery resh challenge in isolation,rather than adopting a blanket styleor approach, saying: ‘I don’t likegrandiose design theories. Eachproject is considered on its own terms,conditions, site, client and budget.’

The brunt o Axis Mundi’s work is in interior design. Anyoneamiliar with New York will beaware that most residential projectsin the city come in the orm o the numerous condominiums thathave been erected over the lastew years. Beckmann explains thatthere is little room or smaller-scale

residential projects, so interiors takeover as the irm’s creative core.

The range ound in Beckmann’snished interiors is astounding. ‘Thestyles we use are very contemporary,’says Beckmann, adding: ‘We try tomake every project dierent.’

Recently, the growing AxisMundi irm seems to have enteredits bachelor phase. ‘Purely by chance, we’ve had a ew recentclients that were all bachelors,’Beckmann explains. ‘They tend to

want a place that is pretty sexy. AndI think that’s something we do well.’

The pinnacle o this ‘sexy’ style canbe ound in their design or theGreenwich Town House.

The renovation o this property resulted in sleek and chic interiorsthat are also very welcoming andcolourul, quite a hard juxtapositionto achieve well. ‘I think a lot o ourinteriors have a minimalist envelope,

but I like to use luxurious materialsand abrics,’ explains Beckmann.‘I think a lot o our work has aglamorous eeling to it where a loto minimalism doesn’t. Many peoplecome to us who like modernism, butthey think it can be too cold. I think

we do a more sexy kind o luxury inhigh-end works.’

One aspect o the multi-disciplinedsystem Axis Mundi uses whichseems to work in their avour is thateverything they design, rom largerprojects like the Greenwich TownHouse to the soon-to-be constructed

Weekend Retreat or a Writer rightthrough to a simple line o lamps allhas its own unique charm.

Because o the lack o availablebuilding space in New York, thelocation o their business could beconsidered a hindrance, limiting thearchitectural opportunities. However,there are a ew standout designs soon

left

Toy Soldiers adorn the Great Wall

of China adding extra security.

centre

The soldier barrier may nestle away fo

when needed in this Parisian plaza.

right

Larger-than-life statues standing to

attention outside the US Senate buildi10.08


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i M A G e s : A n d r t o b o

to be constructed. The previously mentioned Weekend Retreat ora Writer comes in the orm o atraditional American-styled ‘salt-box’house completely covered in mirrors.

This is denitely a project tokeep your eye on; with the exceptiono a ew windows, everything onthe exterior açade will refect itsenvironment. Beckmann muses, ‘youcan imagine, on a oggy day this place

will almost disappear.’ Architects

‘I don’t like grandiose design theories. Each project

is considered on its own terms, conditions, site,client and budget.’above

Mirror house: The Writer’s Retreat will

perfectly reflect it’s environment.

right

A beautifully simple modern interior

with an impressive bookshelf.10.08


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are constantly struggling to createdesigns to match and refect theirenvironment, something that The

Weekend Retreat will do with ease.Architecture and interior design

clearly goes hand in hand. But it israre to nd an architecture rm thatdesigns speciality items like urnitureand lamps on a completely separate

basis, especially outside o the designhubs like Milan. Beckmann explainsthat his urniture is oten producedin relation to architectural projects heis working on, has nished, or evenprojects that may come in the uture.

‘I try to approach urnituredesign like an artist would, becauseotherwise you just get caught up in

this plastic chair throw-away kindo culture.’ There is little ear o thishappening with such a wide rangeo beautiul, unique and practicalpieces. Nothing gives a betterexample o this than the line o lamps made rom car exhausts.

The lamps perectly showcasethe design prowess o Beckmannand his team. It’s rare indeed thatsomething more recognisable orspouting umes can be seen releasingsomething as symbolic as light, butit comes as a shining example o theart behind the design ound in all o Axis Mundi’s projects.

It seems only appropriate to nishthis look at Axis Mundi with whatpromises to be their most uniqueand artistic project to date, the ‘Toy Soldier Barriers’. Beckmann says, ‘It’san art project and a statement really on America’s hegemony and empire.

The concept is that these are enlargedtoy soldiers, larger than lie whichorm a working barricade.’

The response to the threat o

terror has had a huge impact onAmerican lie over the past ew years.Axis Mundi has taken this ear andturned it into both an artistic andpractical concept. It is attemptingto engage debate in areas that seemoutside the realm and scope o regular architects or designers, butthe possibility o this security barriermodel being used in the uture isdenitely an interesting one.

At the end o the day, Beckmann’saim is simple, to be a designer. Hedeclares himsel on the ‘artsy’ sideo design, with the desire to bepositioned between the dierentmediums. The successul executiono these aims is evident in any o theprojects his rm, Axis Mundi havecompleted. And with the number o promising projects soon to come, we

wait with assured anticipation.

Axs MundT. +1 (212) 643 2608

axsmund.com

‘The styles we use are very contemporary. We try to makeevery project different.’

left

The Costa Rican Pool Pavilion has

an unforgettable view of the sea.

right

Axis Mundi goes over and under with

the Bridge and Tunnel House.

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spaces axismundi

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