Brooklyn's Progress
April 2004

The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce is putting the final touches on Brooklyn Designs 2004 which will take place April 30 - May 2. This year, 46 of Brooklyn’s finest contemporary furnishings designers will create exhibits at St. Ann’s Warehouse, 38 Water Street and the Brooklyn Designs Gallery (former Gale Gates Gallery), 37 Main St. Attendees can get a sneak peek at the products that will be on display by visiting http://www.brooklyndesigns.net/.

Additionally, the Chamber is pleased to announce that world-renowned architect Enrique Norten will be headlining the seminar/lecture series as the keynote speaker the evening of Friday, April 30.  Norten is the founder and principal of the firm TEN Arquitectos, which has offices in both Mexico City and New York.  He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards including The Architecture Prize of the National Fund for the Arts, the Gold medal from the Society of American Registered Architects and currently holds the Miller Chair at the University of Pennsylvania. 

“We are honored to be hosting Enrique Norten as our keynote speaker this year.  His participation is truly a testament to the important role Brooklyn plays within the design community,” said Kenneth Adams, President of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.        

Another show highlight will be a panel discussion on Brooklyn Waterfront Development.  It will feature James Russell, Editor at Large, Architectural Record Magazine; Tom Hanrahan, Dean of Architecture, Pratt Institute; as well as two architects currently working on prominent waterfront projects - Matthew Urbanski, Principal, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc Landscape Architects PC; and Max Bond, Principal, Davis Brody Bond.

Other outstanding speakers include: Cindy Allen, Interior Design Magazine, Michael Gabellini, Gabellini Associates, Christopher Coleman, Christopher Coleman Interior Design, Susan Lyons, E3 Studio and interior designer Chris Kraig.  Also on the program are timely design seminars including an Expo Design Center presentation on Kitchen Design, a Furniture New York session on Commissioning Custom Work and Dwell Magazine’s provocative Evolution of Design in Brooklyn.

Show hours for Brooklyn Designs 2004 have been set for Friday, April 30, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, May 1, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.; and Sunday, May 2, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.  Admission for the general public is $10.  Pre-registered members of the design trade attend for free all day Friday.

Following is the full event schedule:

FRIDAY, April 30th 10 a.m. - 8p.m.

11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Design Imitates Nature, Imitates Art, Imitates Life, Imitates Design...
Susan Lyons, Principal of E 3 Studio, will lead a discussion on sustainable design

12 to 2 p.m. 
Designer/Architect Luncheon (Trade Only)
Sponsored by Digital NYC: Wired to the World and Two Trees Management, 45 Main St., Suite 900

2 to 3 p.m.
Making It (or Trying to) in the Design World
Cindy Allen, Editor-in-Chief of Interior Design Magazine, will host a discussion on how to succeed in the design industry

4 to 5 p.m. 
Living with Lightness: The Creation of a Pure Aesthetic 
Michael Gabellini, Gabellini Associates, will present a survey of work in his minimalist vocabulary

6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Enrique Norten in Brooklyn
Enrique Norten, Principal, TEN Arquitectos, will speak about his recent work and his firm’s winning entry in the Brooklyn Public Library’s Visual and Performing Arts Library Competition

SATURDAY, May 1st 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Brooklyn Waterfront Development – Re-Connecting with the Harbor Panel Discussion featuring:  James Russell, Editor at Large, Architectural Record Magazine; Matthew Urbanski, Principal, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc Landscape Architects PC; Max Bond, Principal, Davis Brody Bond; and Tom Hanrahan, Dean of Architecture, Pratt Institute

1 to 2 p.m. 
Design a Kitchen That Looks as Great as it Cooks
Presented by the Expo Design Center

4 to 4:15 p.m.
Presentation of The Future Perfect 2004 Brooklyn Designs People’s Choice Award
  
4:15 to 5:15 p.m. 
Working with a Designer for the First Time…
Brooklyn designer, Christopher Coleman, will show ways to save time and money, while working with a design professional
 

SUNDAY, May 2nd 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

12 to 1 p.m. 
Current & Future Trends in Interiors
Interior Design Specialist, Chris Kraig, will share his ideas on current and future trends in interiors

2 to 3 p.m. 
Designing Brooklyn…the Evolution
Marc Kristal of Dwell Magazine will lead a panel in a spirited, in-depth look at the borough's design community from various historical, aesthetic, cultural, economic and civic perspectives. Panel discussion featuring: Evan Snyderman, Co-owner, R 20th Century Design; Andrew Bernheimer, Della Valle + Bernheimer; Ruby Metzger and Sather Duke, Hive Mind Design
 
3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Commissioning Work - Easier and More Affordable Than You Think Panel Discussion featuring exhibiting members of Furniture NY

Brooklyn Designs is made possible by support from Speaker Sheldon Silver, the Brooklyn Delegation to the New York State Assembly, Speaker Gifford Miller, the Brooklyn Delegation to the New York City Council and the New York City Department of Small Business Services.

For more information visit http://www.brooklyndesigns.net/ or contact Karen Auster at 718-875-1000 ext. 146.