Torino (Italy) – In occasion of the event “International Design Casa,” which will be inaugurated in Torino on November 6, 2008, the Organising Committee of Torino 2008 World Design Capital has decided to create a system of urban signs that will identify the locations in which the exhibitions organised by the fifteen guest countries are taking place.

The system, which has been designed by the studio Zup and realised in collaboration with the company Nord Zinc, is a series of objects of urban furniture called “environmental placemarks.” It is a shared effort on the part of designer, client and manufacturer of the material, all of whom contributed their personal competences to create objects which fulfil criteria of efficiency and sustainability.

Positioning of the placemarks began today and will continue tomorrow.

The placemarks are a temporary part of the city’s urban furniture and, besides marking and identifying the network of Houses, also offer seating, benches, and resting places along the itinerary that connects the various exhibitions.

The concept of eco-sustainability is represented by the decision to use commercial material, thus keeping manufacturing costs low and minimizing waste. The structures were realised and protected using a system created by Nord Zinc known as Sistema Triplex, in respect of the total recyclability of the materials and of their environmental impact, as attested by a Life Cycle Assessment of the objects.

International Design Casa
Austria, Belgium, South Korea, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, France, Japan, Norway, the Netherlands, Singapore and Spain. These are the fifteen countries which, from November 6-13, 2008, will make Torino their home and open their doors to the public to make themselves known, present their own national design situation, the policies adopted to promote it, and future prospects. Ten exhibitions scattered throughout the city, in famous and lesser-known locations, will bring to Torino an original and simultaneous vision on how the culture of design is expressed in other parts of the world, ranging from the lively European panorama to the rapidly developing countries of the Far East.

  • Austria House – Sala Colonne, Castello del Valentino, Viale Mattioli 39
  • Belgium House – “Serra”, Piazzale Valdo Fusi
  • South Korea House (Seoul) – Palazzo Madama, Piazza Castello
  • Central-Eastern Europe House (Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia) – Artintown, Via Berthollet, 25
  • France House – Spazio Azimut, Piazza Palazzo di Città 8
  • Japan House (Nagoya) – Antichi Chiostri, Via Garibaldi, 25, Palazzo Barolo, Via delle Orfane 7
  • Norway House – OGR Officine Grandi Riparazioni, Corso Castelfidardo 18
  • Netherlands House (Rotterdam) – Archivio di Stato, Via Piave 21
  • Singapore House – Turin Gallery, Via Maria Vittoria 6
  • Spain House (Barcelona) – OGR Officine Grandi Riparazioni, Corso Castelfidardo 18

All the Houses will be open from November 6-13, non-stop from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with a special opening until midnight on November 8, except for South Korea House, which will open on November 7.

For more information, visit: www.torinoworlddesigncapital.it

About the World Design Capital
The World Design Capital is a project of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid).

While there are many awards that recognise individual accomplishments in design, the World Design Capital designation is unique as it aims to docus on the broader essence of design’s impact on urban spaces, economies and citizens. This designation provides a distinctive opportunity for cities to feature their accomplishments in attracting and promoting innovative design, as well as highlight their successes in urban revitalisation strategies.