Ideas Talk
IDI & IID'S DESIGN EVENING

IDI's Ideas Talk rolls off to an enthusiastic start at Mantra, Delhi, on World Interior Design Day

INDIAN DESIGN and Interiors (IDI) joined hands with the Indian Institute of Interior Designers (IIID), Delhi centre, to celebrate the World Interior Design Day on June 30, 2004, at the upscale lounge bar Mantra in New Delhi. Both IDI and IIID have the common goal of promoting design and provide a purposeful platform for the relatively small world of designers and interior decorators. Ideas Talk- that was the highlight if the evening-is a regular interactive event organised by IDI involving talks by design experts. The second Ideas Talk was held in Bangalore on July 19.

The industry's leading lights like K.T. Ravindran, HOD, Urban Design, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, and also Chairman of IIID, Delhi centre, Ashok Dhawan, famous for his TERI project and Sumit Ghosh, expert in institutional design gathered for the event among more than 100 distinguished architects, interior designers, product designers and media persons to celebrate the World Interior Design Day. Suneet Paul, Editorial Director, A+D and IDI, remarked in a lighter vein in hid introductory address that though the World Interior Design Day is not among the popularly celebrated days like the Valentine's Day, it is relevant for those who are involved in design closely.

The evening started with a talk by Sanjib Chatterjee, architect and product designer, who has co-founded the well-known Kaaru line with Anjalee Wakankar, also an interior designer. Kaaru-from the Sanskrit term that means giving shape to work-is a line of sensitively made, ecologically sound product designs that show a keen connection between artisans, art, craft and design. Kaaru's interiors like that of the DDA Chairman and the Handicrafts Commissioner's office in Delhi have gained appreciation. Chatterjee dwelt upon the subject of relevant design vis-à-vis traditional crafts in his talks on Life Cycles, the theme of the World Interior Design Day.

Ecological concerns were raised by Dr Prem C Jain, member, Indian Green Buildings Council (IGBC). He mentioned the examples of the CII-Godrej green Business Centre in Hyderabad that uses 60 per cent of recycled material and has effected a 55 per cent reduction in energy costs as a stellar example of green architecture. The aim of the IGBC is to have 50 green products by the end of 2004-a phenomenal task that will make the coming generations proud and thankful for our work.

The two talks were followed by lively interactions among the guests who gathered. Makers of fine electricals, Novar India, formerly M K Electricals, were one of the event. IDI, one of the oldest interiors magazine in the country, plans many more such events to keep up the momentum of the design debate in the country.