2019-10-01 Robb Report

GUTTER CREDITS

IPHONE 4

by Steve Jobs (2010)

Touted as the world’s thinnest

smartphone, the $599 16 GB device

from Apple had a stainless-steel frame

with a longer antenna threaded

through the phone. It also introduced

software innovations such as

FaceTime and the first front-facing

camera on an iPhone.

What’s the problem? The antenna

was placed where a person’s fingers

naturally fall, so the location of a

user’s hand could cause major reception

issues. Jobs’s initial response—

telling customers not to hold the phone

a certain way or to buy a case

that would prevent the problem—sparked

outrage. Moving forward, the 4S

featured upgraded dual antennae

that remedied the flaw.

What’s it worth? They are floating

around eBay for up to $170, used.

HOT BERTAA KETTLE

by Philippe Starck (1987)

A postmodern sculpture for the stovetop, the kettle was

comprised of a bullet-shaped cast-aluminum body with a tapering

polyamide tube that functioned as spout, steam outlet and

handle. When offered the chance to collaborate with Italian

manufacturer Alessi, which had previously worked with Michael

Graves and Richard Sapper, Starck said he felt pressured to be

“extraordinary, to show all my talent.”

What’s the problem? A train wreck of form over function,

it offered no way of gauging the water level. Plus, the handle

positioned fingers dangerously close to the hot kettle while jetting

hot steam toward the user. Production ceased in

1997, with some of the originals landing permanent homes in

design museums. Alberto Alessi has described the kettle, which

took five years to develop, as “our most beautiful fiasco.”

Starck has called it “one of my worst pieces ever.”

What’s it worth? If you can find it online, the Hot Bertaa

tends to sell for $300 to $500.

LAMBORGHINI

COUNTACH

by Marcello Gandini (1974)

Taking its name from the wordcontacc,

a Piedmontese expression of amazement,

the $72,200 two-seat coupe with

an ultra-wide body and flat, trapezoidal

surfaces was radically futuristic.

In addition to scissor-style doors, the

Countach situated the passengers farther

up, in a “cab forward” design, so the

engine could be rear-mounted. No

chassis was more groundbreaking in all

postwar design.

What’s the problem? Forget about

trying to effectively park one of these

beauties. Rear visibility was terrible and

often required drivers to open the

door to gauge the backing-up process.

There was also virtually no interior space,

and at speed, the front end lifted like a

cruise missile. Though the car has been

labeled by some as “The Best Worst

Car Ever Made,” the Countach helped

establish Lamborghini as a luxury sports-

car leader in the 1970s and 1980s.

What’s it worth? A good early LP400

“Persicopio” can top $1 million.

GUANGZHOU OPERA CENTER

by Zaha Hadid (2010)

Conceived as two rocks washed

away by the Pearl River, Hadid’s

1,800-seat main performance

hall in China’s Guangdong Province

is made from freestanding

concrete set within a glass-clad

steel frame, which uses fluid form

to evoke a feeling of vast openness

and possibility. The highly

ambitious complex took five years

to complete. Hadid’s design

principles matched China’s focus

on modernization. “Such a project

would probably not have been

able to happen in the United

States,” says Cooper Union dean

Nader Tehrani, noting that

emerging cultural voices such as

Asia, South America and parts

of the Middle East are able to test

out new systems of construction

that the West won’t.

What’s the problem? Large

cracks appeared in the walls,

rain seeped in and glass

panels fell from the windows—

the fault of the architect or the

construction company?—but

ultimately, it isn’t Hadid’s

most highly regarded creation.

What’s it worth? The

construction tab was

approximately $200 million.

Sometimes known as

the “S Chair,” the

$75 legless and stackable

design was heralded as

the world’s first chair

manufactured entirely of

brightly colored molded

plastic—one whole

piece of it, at that. “Most

people spend their lives

living in dreary, gray-beige

conformity, mortally

afraid of using colors,”

said Panton, one of

Denmark’s most influential

20th-century furniture

designers. This chair

provoked the imagination.

Just look at its profile,

which offers the illusion

that it’s sprouting from

the floor.

What’s the problem?

In a classic case of trial

by error, years were

spent reconciling the limits

of plastics technology

with the bold contours

Panton was after. When

thermoplastics were

introduced in 1979 to

minimize costs, the chair

began to snap, causing a

production halt. It would

take Panton 11 years

to remedy. Still, the

critically acclaimed piece

managed to capture the

spirit of the Swinging ’60s

while ushering in a

new age of furniture

design. Chairs got weirder.

What’s it worth?

Still handmade in

Switzerland by its original

manufacturer, Vitra,

the chair retails

for $1,715.

ROBBREPORT.COM 143

THE PANTON CHAIR

by Verner Panton (1959/60)

tends to sell for $ 300 to $ 500.

THEPANTON CHAIR

by Verner Panton (1959/60)

To

smar

from A

wi

throu

so

Face

Wha

to complete. Hadid’s design that the West won’t.

gan to snap, causing a

oduction haltIt would

IPHONE 4

bySteveJobs(2010)

outedastheworld’sthinnest

rtphone,the$599 16 GBdevice

Applehada stainless-steelframe

itha longerantennathreaded

ughthephone.It alsointroduced

oftwareinnovationssuchas

eTimeandthefirstfront-facing

cameraonaniPhone.

at’stheproblem?Theantenna

wasplacedwherea person’sfingers

naturallyfall,sothelocationofa

user’shandcouldcausemajorreception

issues.Jobs’sinitialresponse—

tellingcustomersnottoholdthephone

a certainwayortobuya case

thatwouldpreventtheproblem—sparked

outrage.Movingforward,the4S

featuredupgradeddualantennae

thatremediedtheflaw.

What’sit worth?Theyarefloating

aroundeBayforupto$170,used.

HOT BERTAA KETTLE

byPhilippeStarck(1987)

A postmodern sculpture for the stovetop, the kettle was
comprised of a bullet-shaped cast-aluminum body with a tapering
polyamide tube that functioned as spout, steam outlet and
handle. When offered the chance to collaborate with Italian
manufacturer Alessi, which had previously worked with Michael
Graves and Richard Sapper, Starck said he felt pressured to be
“extraordinary, to show all my talent.”
What’s the problem? A train wreck of form over function,
it offerednowayofgaugingthewaterlevel.Plus,thehandle
positionedfingersdangerouslyclosetothehotkettlewhilejetting
hotsteamtowardtheuser.Productionceasedin
1997,withsomeoftheoriginalslandingpermanenthomesin
designmuseums.AlbertoAlessihasdescribedthekettle,which
tookfiveyearstodevelop,as“ourmostbeautifulfiasco.”
Starckhascalledit “oneofmyworstpiecesever.”
What’sit worth?If youcanfindit online,theHotBertaa

LAMBORGHINI

COUNTACH

byMarcelloGandini(1974)

Takingitsnamefromthewordcontacc,

a Piedmonteseexpressionofamazement,

the$72,200two-seatcoupewith

anultra-widebodyandflat,trapezoidal

surfaceswasradicallyfuturistic.

Inadditiontoscissor-styledoors,the

Countachsituatedthepassengersfarther

up,in a “cabforward”design,sothe

enginecouldberear-mounted.No

chassiswasmoregroundbreakingin all

postwardesign.

What’stheproblem?Forgetabout

tryingtoeffectivelyparkoneofthese

beauties.Rearvisibilitywasterribleand

oftenrequireddriverstoopenthe

doortogaugethebacking-upprocess.

Therewasalsovirtuallynointeriorspace,

andatspeed,thefrontendliftedlikea

cruisemissile.Thoughthecarhasbeen

labeledbysomeas“TheBestWorst

CarEverMade,”theCountachhelped

establishLamborghiniasa luxurysports-

carleaderin the1970sand1980s.

What’sit worth?A goodearlyLP400

“Persicopio”cantop$1million.

GUANGZHOU OPERA CENTER

by Zaha Hadid (2010)

Conceived as two rocks washed

away by the Pearl River, Hadid’s

1,800-seat main performance

hall in China’s Guangdong Province

is made from freestanding

concrete set within a glass-clad

steel frame, which uses fluid form

to evoke a feeling of vast openness

andpossibility.Thehighly

ambitiouscomplextookfiveyears

principles matched China’s focus

on modernization. “Such a project

would probably not have been

able to happen in the United

States,” says Cooper Union dean

Nader Tehrani, noting that

emerging cultural voices such as

Asia, South America and parts

of theMiddleEastareabletotest

outnewsystemsofconstruction

What’s the problem? Large

cracks appeared in the walls,

rain seeped in and glass

panels fell from the windows—

the fault of the architect or the

construction company?—but

ultimately, it isn’t Hadid’s

most highly regarded creation.

What’s it worth? The

construction tab was

approximately $200 million.

Sometimes known as

the “S Chair,” the

$75 legless and stackable

design was heralded as

the world’s first chair

manufactured entirely of

brightly colored molded

plastic—one whole

piece of it, at that. “Most

people spend their lives

living in dreary, gray-beige

conformity, mortally

afraid of using colors,”

said Panton, one of

Denmark’s most influential

20th-century furniture

designers. This chair

provoked the imagination.

Just look at its profile,

which offers the illusion

that it’s sprouting from

the floor.

What’s the problem?

In a classic case of trial

by error, years were

spent reconciling the limits

of plastics technology

with the bold contours

Panton was after. When

thermoplastics were

introduced in 1979 to

minimize costs, the chair

beg

productionhalt.It would

takePanton 11 years

toremedy.Still,the

critically acclaimed piece

managed to capture the

spirit of the Swinging ’60s

while ushering in a

new age of furniture

design. Chairs got weirder.

What’s it worth?

Still handmade in

Switzerland by its original

manufacturer, Vitra,

the chair retails

for $1,715.

ROBBREPORT.COM 143

tends to sellfor$ 300 to$ 500.

THEPANTONCHAIR

by Verner Panton (1959/60)

To

sma

fromA

w

throu

so

Face

Wha

to complete. Hadid’s design thatthe West won’t.

gantosnap,causinga

oduction halt It would