CONVERSATION
Molteni&C | Dada’s creative director vincent van Duysen on his appreciation of the Italian aesthetic
品牌Molteni&C | Dada的創意總監vincent van Duysen談到對意大利美學的欣賞
They say time flies when you’re having fun. Judging by how fast the last year went for Vincent Van Duysen, creative director of Molteni&C | Dada, there’s no doubt that the partnership between the Italian brand and Belgian architect was a match made in design heaven. We caught up with the designer at Salone del Mobile earlier this year. 人們常說，快樂時光總飛快流逝。看看Vincent Van Duysen出任Molteni&C | Dada創意總監過去12個月如何霎眼過去吧，這意大利品牌與比利時建築師的組合無疑只應天上有。我們本年初跟他於Salone del Mobile上細談。I learned the Italian way of living as a young architect. Everything here is dedicated to beauty and I admire that. I feel there must be some Mediterranean blood in my veins.自當上年輕建築師起，我已學會意大利生活方式。這兒一切均以美學為主，我對此大表欣賞。我體內一定流著地中海的血。When Molteni&C approached me to be creative director in 2016, it was a true honour. As an architect, I concentrate on creating atmospheres and spaces with people at the core. The DNA of Molteni&C is all about creating beauty with people's wellbeing in mind. The common ground and chemistry were there right from the beginning and looking at the achievements in the past year, I feel it’s been a success so far. It has been a really constructive collaboration I put a smile on their faces and likewise they do on mine. And it’s only the beginning. 當Molteni&C於2016年想請我出任創意總監時，我已深感榮幸。作為建築師，我專注打造以人為核心的氣氛和空間。Molteni&C的DNA就是以人們健康和締造美學為重點。我們的共同語言和化學作用一開始已形成，回首過去一年的成就，我認為這是一大成功。這次精彩又具建設性的合作，教我們雙方不禁會心微笑。現在才剛起步。
The main concept this year was to create a new "Molteni home". Space, light and a strong connection to the environment are the main elements that are important to me as an architect, and also what we wanted to reflect in the [Salone del Mobile] booth as well as the showrooms. 本年主打概念就是打造全新的「Molteni家居」。空間、光線與跟環境的鮮明連繫對出任建築師的我來說非常重要，同樣也是我們希望在[Salone del Mobile]展廳和陳列室反映的效果。I like purity of form and for my work to have integrity. There is a conservative part in my thinking. I’m not the type who likes hype, spectacle or anything in your face. Deconstructing and reinterpreting classical forms is something I like doing, but always with respect in mind. For example, with a sofa I would only play with subtle things like stitching and the dimension. In the end, my goal is to create things for people and not for myself. 我喜愛純淨外型和感覺正直誠懇的作品。我的想法帶點傳統：不怎喜愛大肆宣傳、引人注目或誇張取巧的作品。我想做的是拆解、再重新演繹經典造型，但時刻持有敬重之情。舉例說，就沙發而言，我只會加入低調元素，如縫線和立體感。畢竟，我的目標是要為別人而非自己設計作品。Given my hectic travel schedule, the spaces that speak to me most are hotel rooms. I’ve had my own room at The Mercer in New York since its opening, while in Milan I always stay at the same corner room at the Park Hyatt. It overlooks the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, which is like a living painting. I like seeing the city wake up and fall asleep. I guess it’s about finding comfort in a space. It might be cliche, but the best example I can think of is my own home in Antwerp. It’s a place where I can really calm down. At work, I always think of how to create sensual, tactile spaces, so it’s equally important to have a space that calms down the senses. That for me is my own home.以我緊密的旅遊時間表來說，最能讓我感受的空間就是酒店房。自紐約The Mercer開幕以來，我一直擁有自己的專屬房間；在米蘭時，我總會住進Park Hyatt位於角落的同一房間。它飽覽Galleria Vittorio Emanuele景色，就如一幅活生生的油畫。我喜愛目睹城市醒來和進睡的瞬間。這大概就是在空間中尋找慰藉的方法吧。聽起來或許很土氣，但最佳例子絕對是我位於Antwerp的家園。它是我能真正放鬆休息的空間。工作時，我常會想及怎樣打造滿有情調、質感豐富的天地，這跟能放鬆感官的空間同樣重要。所以我會說是自己的家。