Relaunching Design Research

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NJBostonFan

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Out of curiosity, how hard would it be to revive Design Research in Cambridge? After acquiring the rights to the name, the building, moving the current tenants out to other locations, and reassembling the entire staff and finding some new people too and the right people to run it, would it be hard? Would it work?
 
Move the SHIFTBoston paper architecture crowd in there with some trust fund legacy case graduates from the GSD or RISD.

Stand back and watch the hilarity ensue until the inevitable financial collapse occurs.
 
Anthropologie just moved into that building a few months ago, after it had hosted a recreated D|R display for the previous year.

"Reassembling the staff" would be pretty hard given that the store closed over thirty years ago. I bet some of them aren't even alive now.
 
DR wasn't that different from Design Within Reach. If one really wants to pay for overpriced uncomfortable knockoff modernist furniture there are plenty of options to do so.

Much like everything associated with 'Heroic', ego-centric anti-human, modernism, the prestigious reputation of DR is really over stated and undeserved.
 
Oh sure, you get mighty brave after ablarc has left the joint.
 
Ron Newman said:
Anthropologie just moved into that building a few months ago, after it had hosted a recreated D|R display for the previous year.

"Reassembling the staff" would be pretty hard given that the store closed over thirty years ago. I bet some of them aren't even alive now.
Click to expand...

The founder isn't alive, but his wife and a lot of the staff are. It could work.
 
Ben Thompsons's wife Jane, a friend, published a book this year.

http://www.amazon.com/Design-Research-Brought-Modern-American/dp/0811868184. The book was celebrated at a reception at the Cooper Hewitt Museum.

D|R was quite groundbreaking, as were the individuals involved in its founding. They also founded Harvest restaurant, Bunch of Grapes (defunct), and were responsible for bringing Marimekko to the US ? Jane installed that collection in the Crate and Barrel building last year. Thompson's numerous architectural and development projects were significant, among them the redevelopment of Quincy Market.

And the work continues. Jane and her staff at Thompson Design are quite busy planning waterfront cities worldwide, from China to New Jersey.
 
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