OUR CRUSH | DAVID MANN

WE CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT...

david_mann.jpgPierre Hardy store NYC, Photo by Eric Laignel.

DAVID MANN

Most often clad in three-button suits and quiet in demeanor, David Mann is measured to say the least. As subtle as he appears, his work is anything but. His firm MR Architecture + Décor produces show-stopping spaces for fashion boutiques such as Dior and J. Mendel, residences both town and country, offices and hotels. Projects run the gamut in style and scope, from ground-up construction down to minute decorative details.

A deft collaborator, David nonetheless maintains a core set of values, trending towards a modern minimalism. Still, as spartan as a space may seem, a closer look reveals masterfully-executed intricacies, particularly concerning layout and functionality. This isn’t to say that MR doesn’t have fun. Projects abound with whimsy (24k gold butterflies), cheekiness (Chinese newspapers) and rock-star glam (luxe furs). David may seem austere, but he’s a devil with the details. — Erika

Occupation:  Architect

Hometown:   New York, New York

What projects are you currently working on? We’re working on a number of residences, reinventing an (un-named) international retail brand, creating our third store for Trina Turk, and doing a showroom for Pierre Hardy (we just finished their first American store earlier this year).

As you approach a design project, how do you allow for the ever-changing nature of technology? Good question! The first thing that comes to mind is the ever-changing TV. Not only does the size keep on changing but so does the way it is used. This particular item keeps us on our toes. Control systems are continuously changing; at the moment a lot of our clients love the idea of controlling everything (TV, music, climate, window treatments, security, etc.) through their iPhone or iPad…. I am always wondering “what about next year when all this equipment is obsolete?” With any project, we are interested in green technologies as well as advances in materials and construction methods. Technology plays a huge part in what we do, and how we do what we do.   

Which designer do you consider to be the archetype of good taste? Mies van der Rohe.

Which designer has married taste and technology in an innovative way? Herzog & de Meuron.

Can you cook? What’s your signature dish? No, the only thing I made this year, after a very careful following-of-instructions, was pesto sauce.  

Which country’s cuisine most pleases your palate? Almost all.

What is your must-have gadget? My iPhone. I feel sometimes like that is all you need any more. I do business on it, listen to music, watch TV, read, take pictures, email, text. It is also my photo album of course. Ironically the thing it does least well is work as a phone.

What new technology could we/should we live without?  The stuff I know least about: the military.

To which things/in which arenas should technology never be applied? Of course technology should never replace human interaction. At the moment I think it enhances communication but at times it does appear to substitute for some forms of contact.

What are your favorite websites currently? LuxuryCulture.com, 1st Dibs…

Which websites most impress you with their design/interface? Martha Stewart for the iPad.

Social Media: societal plaything, societal enhancement, societal curse? I am a little out of it here. I am not on Facebook,Twitter, LinkedIn, or any others that may have been invented since I wrote this. I think the answer to your question is, of course, all of the above.


HARRY JOSH Elizabeth Sulcer

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