Wallpaper 11

PORTRAITS: ALEX BATISTA, LUKE CASEY

Fernanda Marques

Architect, São Paulo

Marques has based her career on imbuing

each project with what she describes as a

‘unique, solid and irreversible personality’.

For her, architecture extends beyond basic

construction. ‘It is a matter of philosophical

existence, of phenomenology. That is the

bigest challenge: to trespass the physical

boundaries of construction and elevate our

project to the sensorial world.’ Currently in

the works is a gallery in São Paulo for the

Spanish bathroom specialist Roca. ‘We’re

designing a collection of ceramic sinks for the

brand, too,’ says Marques. ‘And we’re putting

the inal touches on a motel, also in São

Paulo.’ Travel features heavily in her schedule –

especially site visits to projects in Europe

and America, alongside design and art fairs –

though the best experiences, she says, involve

new places and diferent cultures. This

year’s highlight was a trip to the Atacama

Desert in Chile. ‘I stayed at the Explora,

which has a rustic sophistication that is very

peaceful, especially when combined with

the natural landscape.’ DW

100,000 miles lown per year

8 trips taken per year

10-15 hotels visited per year

Aric Chen

Design curator, Shanghai

An upbringing in Chicago (‘where design and

architecture were practically in the water’),

an education at Berkeley and Parsons, and

the experiences of inaugurating 100% Design

Shanghai and Beijing Design Week made

Chen the most sought-after design curator

traversing the Chinese- and English-speaking

worlds. An erstwhile Wallpaper* contributor,

Chen is currently curator-at-large at M+, the

soon-to-open museum of visual culture in

Hong Kong. This year he has also worked on

the Design Museum’s ‘Designs of the Year’

exhibition in London, exploring ‘the breadth,

diversity and talent that makes design so

responsive to the challenges we’re facing

today’. Chen prefers contemporary hotels

that ‘aren’t trying too hard, that feel natural’.

His favourite hotel-related memory dates

from the mid-1980s, when he went to visit his

grandfather who was on a work trip to New

York. ‘I think it was the UN Plaza – it was all

mirrors, chrome, and dazzling potted plants,’

he recalls. ‘It felt like the most glamorous

place in the world.’ TFC

80,000-100,000 miles lown per year

20-25 trips taken per year

25-30 hotels visited per year

ABOVE LEFT, FERNANDA
MARQUES IN HER STUDIO
IN SÃO PAULO’S VILA
OLÍMPIA DISTRICT
ABOVE RIGHT, ARIC CHEN,
SHOT NEAR THE
SOON-TO-OPEN M
MUSEUM IN HONG
KONG’S WEST KOWLOON

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Judges^18
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shortlist
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