We welcomed over 2000 visitors to our new showroom with a bonanza of events and a show-stopping installation.
Cloud to Cloud was responsible for a lot of double takes as festival goers ambled around Clerkenwell in the sunshine. The installation is a collaboration between Iris Ceramica Group and Szczepaniak Teh, and explores the properties of hydrogen through water. Iris Ceramica is leading the move to green hydrogen within the sector, and wanted to communicate a message about hydrogen, sustainability, and ceramics to CDW attendees.
Cloud to Cloud was a festival highlight with CDW organiser Marlon Cera-Marle dropping in to speak with creators Nicholas Szczepaniak and Wen Ying Teh. The installation featured on the official CDW and BIID tour and will remain on show until September.
Iris Ceramica CEO, Federica Minozzi, joined Solus Creative Director, Sam Frith, and one half of Szczepaniak Teh, Nicholas Szczepaniak on Tuesday evening to discuss Cloud to Cloud, its significance for Iris Ceramica and the process of collaboration. The well-attended event was a great way to frame the conversation for the week.
Federica said, “I’m delighted to be collaborating with Solus and Szczepaniak Teh on this important piece. Green hydrogen promises to decarbonise the sector. We have to make it happen.”
Solus Sustainability Manager, Ken Graham, took the baton on Wednesday delivering his RIBA-accredited Moving Earth: Sustainability and Ceramics presentation to a rapt crowd. His energy and erudition took us through a well-researched and deeply informative review of the environmental claims within the sector. Ken can come to your practice to deliver Moving Earth. Just drop us a line.
In Conversation with Juhani Pallasmaa, a film made by our PR Executive, Conleth Buckley and Roger Tyrrell, took the Wednesday evening slot. A relaxed and deeply personal interview with celebrated author and architect Juhani Pallasmaa provided a moment of mindfulness during a busy day. We’ll be making the film available upon request.
Expert Lover, a collective of contemporary electronic musicians, took to the stage later that evening. James Mason on decks and mixer, Geoff Tornn on guitar, Nick Samuel on saxophone, and Paul Shearer on congas, delivered a blistering set that threatened to take the roof off. Smash Hips featuring Mathew Dougherty on guitar and pedals, and Sam Neild on drums followed with a captivating set that served as a fitting coda to day two.
Some slightly bleary expressions greeted day three and a packed schedule. Martin Ballard of Fila delivered a seminar on indoor air quality and sustainable surface protection, and Margherita Giannoni of Iris Ceramica Group spoke compellingly about eco-active buildings. Events Manager Jo Sinclair’s Terrarium Workshop was well received with the green-fingered amongst you creating self-sustaining microcosms.
Another sort of sustenance was available at the riveting performance by Roberta, Head Chef at Pasta Evangelists. Roberta, in a masterclass of charismatic people management, wrangled a five o’clock crowd into some semblance of order and tutored them in the mysteries of pasta. The subsequent bowls of outrageously delicious handmade pasta surely averted many booze-related mishaps later and certainly put the audience in a receptive mood for our Thursday evening panel discussion.
Our Brand Manager, Katie Mitchelmore, suggested the question and the guests. Graphic Artist Anthony Burrill, colour expert Justine Fox, and activist Architect Robert Delius of Stride Treglown inspired the packed house with their answers to “How can design drive optimism and change?”. A longer piece on this will follow but the most succinct summary would be, “Design is a fundamentally optimistic act” – a message the audience embraced with approbation.
DJ Arveene stepped in to bring proceedings to a zenith with a transformative set that saw our new showroom blessed by the throb of a shamanic mania. Shapes were thrown, promises were made, glasses were smashed as Arveene magisterially twiddled and tweaked the crowd into a feverish euphoria which exploded out of the locked doors sometime around 3am.
The success of the event rests largely on the Solus Clerkenwell team whose efforts could rightly be described as Herculean. Showroom Manager Mirko Francia was tireless in his pursuit of the perfect CDW experience for all our guests. Jo Sinclair was everywhere – one minute troubleshooting recalcitrant tech, the next lugging bags of ice. Commercial Director Ian Hamilton managed the queues with his customary aplomb. All hands were on deck be it the Birmingham team helping at the door, the London and Regional sales teams hosting their socks off, or Managing Director Ryan Bennett popping corks and pouring drinks.
We had a fantastic and exhausting time. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hello!
