New Affiliates, a design duo based in New York, finds refuge from workaday architecture concerns in art projects
After cutting their teeth at cerebral New York firms like DS+R and MOS, Jaffer Kolb and Ivi Diamantopoulou set out on their own, forming New Affiliates in 2016. The pair has since designed art studios, country homes, and temporary installations, such as a recent project for the Architectural League’s Beaux Arts Ball that saw massive faux-Hausmann doors, recycled from a Times Square pop-up, suspended in melting ice sculptures. Recyclability has emerged as a pressing concern. “As architects,” Kolb said, “it’s a very difficult profession to wrap our heads around ethically because we’re dealing with the vast amount of construction demolition waste that goes into the industry.”
But as wide-ranging as their practice is, Kolb and Diamantopoulou feel most at home in the art world. Already this year, New Affiliates has designed displays for three exhibitions at major New York venues. The projects present different modes of perspective to disrupt the typical gallery setup.
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