Clockwise starting top left: Nebula by Antoniya Stoitsiva in VitrA London; Time by Raphaé Memon and Sikander Pervez in Gaggenau; Beauty in the Broken by Isabella Yurtsever in Ideal Standard.

The London Festival of Architecture (LFA) is delighted to announce the delivery of ‘Waste Not, Want Not’ installations in three London showrooms: Gaggenau, VitrA and Ideal Standard.

‘Waste Not, Want Not’ asked designers to explore material that is produced as a by-product of the showroom’s manufacturing process or day-to-day activity and rethink this in their window installation. The focus on reusing and rethinking waste materials was key in binding the competition to the overall LFA2023 theme of ‘In Common’ which explores the finite amount of natural resources we have left, which need to be nurtured and sustained by us all.

The design teams behind these installations were winners of the ‘Showroom Showcase’ competition. The competition identifies emerging and upcoming architects and designers and gives them a platform to display their work to a public audience within an international showroom.

The winning design teams were Raphaé Memon and Sikander Pervez, Antoniya Stoitsiva and Isabella Yurtsever. Each team approached the theme in various ways, working collaboratively with the showroom. From recycled ceramics transformed into sculptural forms and suspended waste materials revealing the magic of the process, to plaster clocks exploring the potential of architecture to connect us all, each installation rethinks the future of waste materials within the context of their showroom.

The winning designs are:

© Kes-Tchaas Eccleston

‘Time’ by Raphaé Memon and Sikander Pervez

‘Time’ is a series of handmade functional art objects stacked vertically on display at Gaggenau London. Composed of a series of clocks, it considers the viewers’ awareness of space and time in the showroom, in the city, or around the world.

With their work the artists considered the concept of time through the lens of the LFA theme in common. Time, for Raphaé and Sikander, is something that we all hold in common, be it our internal body clock or our shared existence on this planet. The clocks set to global time zones and form almost a cityscape composition in the window display.

Plaster is a key medium used by the artists in this installation. It is a common material used in buildings and so familiarity is generated among viewers. This highlights the possibilities of architecture connecting us all.

Raphaé Memon is a British architect and award-winning designer, working on projects from the scale of civic public events and buildings to stage sets and sculpture. Sikander Pervez is a British artist working in the medium of sculpture and installation.

Listen to Raphaé and Sikander discuss ‘Time’ here.

01 – 30 June, Gaggenau London Showroom, Wigmore Street.

© Kes-Tchaas Eccleston

‘Nebula’ by Antoniya Stoitsiva

 ‘Nebula’ tells the story of material particles and their transient state. The artwork presents an innovative use of recycled ceramic waste in the form of a dynamic sculptural piece that resonates with VitrA’s brand.

The idea was sparked from dialogue between the artist and showroom team. VitrA bathrooms is a Turkish manufacturer of ceramics, which come in multiple forms – from tiles to bathroom utilities. Working in ceramics, Antoniya was therefore able to fully embody the brand through her showroom showcase installation. She was also able to do this through the shape of the installation: ‘Nebula’ has two sculptural curves which intersect to create the angular form’s that we see in the ‘V’ and ‘A’ in VitrA’s logo.

To create the installation, Antoniya first used broken ceramics and mixed them in a mixture with gypsum. She then put this mixture in a cast and formed a 3D sculptural composition – a nod to her architectural background.

Antoniya Stoitsova is a London-based architect and designer. Working at the intersection of art and technology, she creates experimental environments that address the topics of social engagement and environmental responsibility. Her work methodology is based on the design application of cutting-edge technology, as well as experimenting with alternative fabrication methods and materials.

Listen to Antoniya discuss ‘Nebula’ here.

01 – 30 June, VitrA London, Turnmill Street.

© Kes-Tchaas Eccleston

‘Beauty in the Broken’ by Isabella Yurtsever

In ‘Beauty in the Broken’, discarded pieces from the Ideal Standard factory hang weightlessly in the window, revealing the magic of the process, and celebrating the beauty in imperfection.

When conceptualising the installation Isabella saw waste not as something that is discarded or thrown away but something that could be utilised – turning ‘trash into treasure’. Isabella collected the by-product ceramics from the Ideal Standard factory in the north of England as well as the showroom itself. The fragments of the ceramics are glazed, unglazed and some even unfired.

The broken fragments work in dialogue with the finished ceramics in the showroom. This allows visitors to Ideal Standard, as well as passers-by who catch a glimpse inside the showroom, the beauty in the making process.

Isabella Yurtsever is a London based Multi-Disciplinary Designer. Her work comes from a spatial perspective rooted in artistic practice.

Listen to Isabella discuss ‘Beauty in the Broken’ here.

01 – 30 June, Ideal Standard, Clerkenwell Road.