Designed for Kartell. Bicchieri lets the user live a sense-stimulating experience through wines that evoke the four seasons, using glasses with shapes inspired by Vivaldi's namesake composition. Sound, scent and taste are merged into a sensory explosion that connects with nature and its phenomena.
INSPIRATION CONCEPT
Vivaldi's Four Seasons
This piece of classical music evokes nature's different events and phenomenons, over notes and sonnets that join it and bring more sense to the musicalization. The Four Seasons follow each other in perfect harmony, meanwhile people do their chores and must must adapt to their surroundings' conditions.
Spring arrives, saluting and filling with live everything. During Summer, the heat has no mercy and the storm comes to change the environment. In the Autumn, farmers celebrate the harvest with wine, to go hunting later. To end, Winter brings fun, but the cold air makes people search for shelter and warmth.
Steampunk
This artistic, literary and sociocultural movement seeks to explore new possibilities, imagining a future where steam-based energy is still prevalent. There is a mechanization of processes and skill enhancinf artifacts are created, therefore existing a human-machine dialogue.
The use of alternative energy and artisanal processes is encouraged. Everyday objects are transformed and a reconciliation with nature is fostered.
SIGN MAPS
Steampunk elements such as animals, landscape, garment, architecture and objects analized by function, typology, shape and color
VERBS
Parting from the sign map, certain verbs are generated. These will drive the design process and the form-function conceptualization of the product.
To foretell(Vaticinar): "To say what is going to happen in the future" - Cambridge Dictionary
During the four seasons, shepherds had to foretell the climate conditions and the way those could affect them. As in Steampunk, Bicchieri wants to see and predict possible futures, in this case regarding design and wine consumption trends.
To adapt (Adaptar): "to change, or to change something, to suit different conditions or uses"- Cambridge Dictionary
Four seasons' sonnets account for the ways animals and human beings adapt to the environmental conditions: if it is cold, they look for a shelter; if there is thunder, they hide. In Steampunk, accessories for adapting to a non-existing future are designed.
To naturalize (Naturalizar): "To give something a natural appearance"- Self-made definition
To let nature take over something to connect with it again and generate awareness about its care. To design taking nature and its changes as a core element.
To balance (Equilibrar): "A state where things are of equal weight or force"- Cambridge Dictionary
Nature remains in perfect harmony and balance. No season is more important than the others because they all complement each other. The project looks for an holistic approach and a balance between elements.
To transform (Transformar): "To change the appearance or character of something or someone, especially so that that thing or person is improved"- Cambridge Dictionary
Leaves are transformed, as so are living beings' behaviors. Steampunk takes known objects and transforms them into something different.
To imagine (Imaginar): "To form or have a mental picture or idea of something"- Cambridge Dictionary
Sonnets, accompanied by Vivaldi's music, allow us to vividly imagine the situations described. Steampunk pictures an alternative future and new possibilities. Bicchieri takes images and signs belonging to this concepts and makes them a reality.
Futurize (Futurizar): "To guide or project to the future"- Translated definition from Real Academia Española.
A composition form the eighteenth century is brought to the future, appropiating the current habits and futurizing different traditions, as drinking wine during the Autumn piece. This leads the practical function of the product.
VISUAL SIGNS
Relevant images belonging to the inspiration concepts are taken, obtaining geometries and base shapes for the product.
In the four seasons, with the aim of futurizing the music pieces, modern images that evoke the situations described by the sonnets are searched.
Spring
"Springtime is upon us"
Spring, Antonio Vivaldi
"Thunderstorms, those heralds of Spring, roar, casting their dark mantle over heaven".
Spring, Antonio Vivaldi
"The birds celebrate her return with festive song"
"The birds take up their charming songs once more"
Spring, Antonio Vivaldi
Summer
"Beneath the blazing sun's relentless heat..."
Summer, Antonio Vivaldi
"...men and flocks are sweltering,
pines are scorched.".
pines are scorched.".
Summer, Antonio Vivaldi
"The heavens roar and great hailstones beat down upon the proudly standing corn".
Summer, Antonio Vivaldi
"His limbs are now awakened from their repose by fear of lightning's flash and thunder's roar":
Summer, Antonio Vivaldi
Autumn
"The peasant celebrates with song and dance the harvest safely gathered in."
Autumn, Antonio Vivaldi
"The cup of Bacchus flows freely, and many find their relief in deep slumber."
Autumn, Antonio Vivaldi
"As cooling breezes fan the pleasant air..."
Autumn, Antonio Vivaldi
Winter
"Shivering, frozen mid the frosty snow in biting, stinging winds"
Winter, Antonio Vivaldi
"Teeth chattering in the bitter chill.".
Winter, Antonio Vivaldi
"We tread the icy path slowly and cautiously, for fear of tripping and falling"
Winter, Antonio Vivaldi
"Then turn abruptly, slip, crash on the ground"
Winter, Antonio Vivaldi
Steampunk
Use of organic structures and transparencies that let us see they contain something inside. This concept will be later applied in the formal setting of the product.
This object accounts for an exploration in the use of engravings that remind us of Art Nouveau, contemporary of the time when Steampunk rises. This element is adapted to the company's design identity, where textures are patterns are often used.
Use of the sun as a key element in structures, as well as other organic elements that evidence the transformation form natural to artificial
In Steampunk architecture we can see suspended structures, sustaining thanks to string tension. Die cut and engraved organic shapes appear again.
Abstraction of an object. The spring is a key element, because it reminds of tornados and it is a simbol for transformation and adaptation.
TYPES OF WINE FOR EACH SEASON
Spring-Summer
"White, sparkling and rosé wines that are fresh, with good acidity and light.
The rosés are the ones most associated with spring, because they are fine, with a lot of fruit and very easy to drink. They are soft on the palate and medium-bodied between white and red.".
-José Rafael Arango, expert sommelier from Casa Pedro Domecq.
Autumn-Winter
"When the temperature drops, mainly red wines are drunk, with high tannins and good body to mitigate the cold.
Once winter and the end-of-year celebrations have arrived, it is time to give way to the sparkling wines that, led by Champagne, are associated with moments of joy and great celebration."
Once winter and the end-of-year celebrations have arrived, it is time to give way to the sparkling wines that, led by Champagne, are associated with moments of joy and great celebration."
-José Rafael Arango, expert sommelier from Casa Pedro Domecq.
Types of wine for each season, (Spring-Rosé, Summer-White, Autumn-Red, Winter-Sparkling), with first sketches for the glass set
FORMAL EXPLORATION
Quick prototypes made in order to continue the exploration and reach a unity as a family of objects. At the same time, we aim to imitate the textures used by Kartell.
BICCHIERI SET OF GLASSES
This set lets the user experiment the four seasons by the consumption of different wines according to each time of the year, giving an ensemble of new sensations around this drink, and connecting with the distinct phenomena of nature.
Bicchieri also wants to break the paradigm of wine always havind to be drunk in objects made of glass, because it is made from PMMA, a material used by Kartell (characterized by manufacturing their products manily in polymers). Thereby, the drink becomes more accessible for users to enjoy it in an outdoor context, living the environment and seasons.
Glasses belonging to each season
SHELVES
Designed to accompany the glasses and decorate environments, Vivaldi shelves seek to blend into spaces due to the material they are made in. (Transparent PMMA).
VIDEO
Designed with Angie Alomia
Product designed for the italian company Kartell
