British designer Tom Dixon has set his sights on designing a new tower for the London skyline.
Known for his trademark metal lighting, home accessories and installations, Dixon said his move into architecture could counteract “the multiplication of glass buildings” in London.
He said: “There is so much glass and an absence of public space, which make a very cold, unwelcoming city. Why can’t we mix the materials up a bit? What about brick? Or timber?
“Vertical is something we all have to deal with. But glass is for seeing through, not for making a whole building.”
The former creative director of Habitat is also moving into office design. His practice, Design Research Studio, redesigned McCann Erikson’s HQ in New York and completed the interior of Interchange, a co-working space in Camden, last year. Dixon is an advocate of modern design and flexibility but not at the expense of the office space itself.
“Co-working and modern workspaces are now every property developer’s obsession,” he said. “It is about creating flexible space without being gimmicky. Revolutionising space does not mean doing away with formality entirely. These are still workplaces. Offices should not become so relaxed that everyone is flopping around on beanbags holding jars of cookies.”
