YOUNG TALENTS
All-embracing
The English word "tangible" can be understood in different ways. On the one hand, there is the physically tangible, i.e. touching a concrete item or object, and on the other hand, the term can also be used in relation to an emotional experience. Moods and feelings can also be tangible - not physically, but psychologically. When Michael Yarinsky and Kelley Perumbeti were looking for a title for their design studio, the term was tailor-made for their concept. "We wanted a name that reflected our daily work, but also our basic design philosophy at different scales and project types," say Yarinsky and Perumbeti.
The studio, based in New York City and San Francisco, has its hands in everything from architecture and interior design to art curation and events to individual objects and pieces of furniture. "We consider our approach to design to be interdisciplinary, or as we often say "without discipline," the two explain. "The intention is for our designs to arouse feelings and curiosity and to invite a conversation with the senses." This becomes clear in their designs through surprising shapes and textures, new and unexpected materials, playful details and colours.
The space designed by the studio for online art gallery Uprise Art exemplifies their overlapping interests in art, design and craft. With few but skilful interventions, Office of Tangible Space succeeded in transforming a SoHo loft into a dynamic space that accommodates workstations as well as exhibition and storage space for the company's art collection. The original exposed brick walls and pressed tin ceiling of the loft, built in 1915, were left in place, but painted white to create the ideal backdrop for the artworks on display. These are displayed on a customised shelf next to the workstations and hung on wall elements made of marine plywood. The project also emphasises the studio's lively collaboration with local artists and craftspeople.
The artist duo Chiaozza, for example, who have also exhibited in the Cooler Gallery – a curatorial project that Office of Tangible Space runs in parallel – designed the colourful benches in the entrance area. The exchange with other creative professionals generally plays an important role in the work of Office of Tangible Space. "The biggest source of inspiration is our creative partners and the team of talented designers in our studio. It works wonders to be with people who inspire us every day," says Perumbeti. Furthermore, Office of Tangible Space frequently collaborates with other studios on designs – for example for the "Pebble" lighting collection, which was created in collaboration with designer Rosie Li.
Their most recent project is a holiday home in East Hampton: when renovating the house from the 1980s, the duo wanted to pick up on the building's original design era, early postmodernism, while creating a new vocabulary. The result is eccentric shapes and surprising contours that run through the entire house and invite you to rediscover the space time and time again. A natural material palette of steel, glass and terracotta has been skilfully blended with wooden details and furniture, such as the shelving in the living room, the headboards in the bedroom and the handrail in the stairwell, whose appearance literally tempts you to touch them and feel their rounded contours. "We try to use the most sustainable materials, methods and technologies in every phase of a project. However, we believe that the most sustainable approach is to create spaces and objects that will be appreciated for a very long time and are therefore durable," explain Yarinsky and Perumbeti.
The studio is currently developing several licensed designs for furniture and homeware, as well as a range of products that they manufacture and market themselves. In the long term, the duo would like to focus on larger projects in the hospitality industry and institutions – projects that they hope will far outlast them. "Designing cultural projects is very close to our hearts. It would make sense to design a school, a museum, a library or a place of worship – so that these spaces, which are so important for society, can touch people," say Yarinsky and Perumbeti.
