Long before turning his attention to architecture, David Rockwell harbored a fascination with immersive environments. Growing up in Chicago, Illinois and Deal, New Jersey, and Guadalajara, Mexico, Rockwell was a child of the theater – his mother worked as a vaudeville dancer and choreographer and cast him in community repertory productions. Rockwell brought his passion for theater and an eye for the color and spectacle of Mexico to his architecture training at Syracuse University where he received a Bachelor of Architecture degree and to his studies at the Architectural Association in London. These formative influences continue to have a strong impact on his practice.
Rockwell Group is an award winning, cross-disciplinary architecture and design practice. Based in New York City with a satellite office in Madrid, Rockwell and his 140-person firm focus on a diverse array of projects that range from hotels to hospitals, restaurants to airport terminals and Broadway set designs to consumer products.
"We really wanted to honor the mission of The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, but in an unexpected way. In covering the underside of the teak GJ chair with golden faceted Swarovski tiles, we aimed to create an element of surprise. So we placed pink LED strips along the bottom to transform the color into a vibrant hot pink glow. The LEDs are slightly off so it creates a strobing effect when illuminated. The golden crystals play off the pink lights to reveal a surprising transformation of vibrancy and energy. The transformation acknowledges both the source of the chair and the new design; we wanted the two to co-exist.
My passion for theater and lighting really plays into the design. The transformation through the lighting effect creates an interesting reveal. It’s always exciting to find a way to use materials in a way that no one expects. It’s not just a chair – it’s a spectacle. Just how the Eiffel Tower comes alive with strobe lights, the radiating chair has its own show.
It is always such a pleasure to work with the team at Swarovski and Nadja. Nadja has crafted such a wonderful vision of the company. We have been lucky enough to work with Swarovski throughout the years from smaller projects to large-scale ones, such as the crystal curtain for the 2009 and 2010 Oscars. And of course, I would like to thank the fabricators: Black Label (Zack Eveland) and Orion (Alex Punchak).
The chairs will be on view at SUITE New York during the month of October for interested bidders to view in person.
Domestic Shipping:
To show their support of the Pink Jalk project, Tramo@Home New York has generously agreed to provide discounted domestic shipping rates. The chairs will be delivered free of charge within a 100 mile radius of New York City and at a reduced cost to any other domestic (USA) destination. Should the winner reside outside of the 100 mile radius of NYC, in addition to the shipping fee there will be an additional $175 crating charge for each chair. Should the winner reside in New York or California, they will be responsible for applicable state and local sales taxes. Please contact Charitybuzz at info@charitybuzz.com prior to bidding should you have any questions regarding the shipment of this item.
International Shipping:
Please note that shipping costs will vary based on the winner's location and winner will be responsible for all applicable shipping costs, crating fees (approximately $325 for fire-rated crate), insurance, customs fees, and import duties. The item will be insured at the full purchase price and the insurance fee and import duties will vary based on this amount. Charitybuzz is happy to provide interested bidders with a shipping quote prior to bidding so please contact info@charitybuzz.com should you have any questions regarding this item.
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