25 August 2011

SiD 2011: Darlinghurst

Good things come in small packages, as Ola Bednarczuk finds out in the Darlinghurst precinct.

At first glance, it seemed that Darlinghurst would take no time at all to zip around – but between the 4 locations there was so much to see and do that it was easy to spend hours in SiD's smallest precinct.

District 01 – home to Ambius, How We Create, Palamont and The Container Connection – really kicked off on +Friday with the unveiling of the winner of the 'Design A Chair' competition.

Designers had been asked to submit chair sketches in the lead-up to the event, with the winning design rotationally moulded before a crowd of excited onlookers. Daniel So's Flux was named winner, and hundreds of miniatures of the chair were given out as keepsakes.

The vibe inside District 01 on Friday was electric, and it continued on into Saturday.

Visitors flocked to the space, which resembled something between a graffiti art-covered warehouse and Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory (complete with fairy floss machine!). Adam Cornish's Monkey Grip brought colour and greenery to the walls, and the Palamont team were kept busy making miniatures of Andrew Berry's Salsa planter.

Over at Mico Design, The Project installation made a lovely centrepoint to the bright, airy showroom. Created by UTS design students, the blue and grey installation made good use of product from the Laminex Group. The team from Bill's were on hand with refreshments – who can say no to butterscotch pancakes?

Next door, Stylecraft was pumping like a nightclub. Rod Galbraith of Wow Productions and Design Centre Enmore 2nd year students had worked hard to create 'The Elements Within' – an installation that took over the whole showroom, with rope structures creating interactive spaces inviting visitors to climb in and experience the latest from Stylecraft's brands.

The shared space between Jardan and Light Project proved to be a great place to hang out, with its light, pattern, colour and 70s groove party theme. The cute Jarvis chair was a standout (and a prize for one lucky competition winner!).