The Essence of Cool symposium

This symposium is organized to take a close-up look at the phenomenon of ‘coolness’. After all, whether it comes to people, products or buildings, some are cool, others are not. The success of a product can to a large extent be dependent on the coolness of it: think of cars, clothing and furniture. Even our built environment cannot escape this label, as many architects demonstrate, from Frank Lloyd Wright to Santiago Calatrava. In essence, what this symposium will try to address, is how to deal as a designer with the degree of built-in coolness or cultural relevance that a product should have for its users. Renowned speakers from within and abroad in the fields of Architecture and Design will present their views at the symposium. People like Satoshi Okada (architect, Japan) and Giovanni Pagnotta (industrial designer, USA) and cultural anthropologist Grant McCracken (USA, author of - among others - the books ‘Culture and Consumption’ and 'Chief Culture Officer’. Also present at the symposium: the spectacular Renault ‘DEZIR’ concept sports car. It will be presented next to the revolutionary Renault ‘Twizy’ electric mini car. What’s more: students can make free test drives in presently available Renault electric cars. During the symposium a book will be launched under the same name 'The Essence of COOL'. Famous architects and designers have contributed. Architects like Ma Yansong and Andrew Patterson, as well as industrial designers Matteo Thun, Stefano Giovannoni and Karim Rashid. The book will be available on the spot with a special discount. Finally a special student design exhibition will be opened at the same location. This exhibition involves submissions to a design competition for designing a COOL product. The contest and exhibition are organized by the student foundation ‘BlueDot’, in cooperation with the City of Delft. The symposium lasts a whole day and is not exclusively accessible for students and employees of the Delft University of Technology. All other students of colleges and art academies and all professionals from within the fields of design, architecture and fashion are invited to participate as well.

C. Lieshout

23-3-2012 08:30:00