Omer Arbel
Encyclopedia
Omer Arbel leads Omer Arbel Office (or OAO), a Vancouver
-based design practice which aims to collapse traditional boundaries between the professions of building
and industrial design, craft and materials research. OAO focuses on experimenting with material properties and fabrication methodology. The practice produces designs for buildings, objects, furniture, lighting and electrical accessories. Arbel is also the creative director of manufacturing and design company Bocci
.
Omer Arbel was born in Jerusalem, moving to Vancouver as a child. Between the ages of 17 and 21, Arbel was active in an athletic career in the sport of fencing. He represented Canada as part of four cadet and junior National teams, retiring in 1997. He studied architecture at the University of Waterloo
, and gained work experience with the Catalan architect Enric Miralles
in Barcelona
and Canadian architects John and Patricia Patkau in Vancouver. After a graduate degree, he worked for two architecture firms, before setting up on his own practice in 2005.
Omer Arbel Office began by designing and making limited edition furniture, most notably the 2.4 Chair, which was critically acclaimed, and is currently considered a collector's item. These early pieces were accessioned into various institutional and private collections, and exhibited in galleries including Spazio Rossana Orlandi, the Vancouver Art Gallery
and the Chicago Athenaeum Museum. Since then, several of Arbel's design pieces have gone into widespread production, most notably the 14 series chandelier, and 22 series plug socket, which also won a 2009 red dot design award
. There are two built architectural works by Arbel, a penthouse interior, and a private residence called 23.2, which was shortlisted for a 2010 World Architecture Festival Award. Arbel was awarded the commission to design the 2010 Winter Olympic medals, in collaboration with Artist Corrine Hunt. Arbel is the recipient of the Canada Council’s 2010 Ron Thom early design achievement Award.
Arbel is active as a guest critic, speaker and master’s thesis committee member at the University of British Columbia
School of Architecture.
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
-based design practice which aims to collapse traditional boundaries between the professions of building
Building
In architecture, construction, engineering, real estate development and technology the word building may refer to one of the following:...
and industrial design, craft and materials research. OAO focuses on experimenting with material properties and fabrication methodology. The practice produces designs for buildings, objects, furniture, lighting and electrical accessories. Arbel is also the creative director of manufacturing and design company Bocci
Bocci
Bocci is a contemporary design and manufacturing company based in Vancouver, Canada, with a satellite office in Berlin, Germany . Founded in 2005 by entrepreneur Randy Bishop, who continues to own and operate the company along with its Creative Director Omer Arbel, Bocci operates with a network of...
.
Omer Arbel was born in Jerusalem, moving to Vancouver as a child. Between the ages of 17 and 21, Arbel was active in an athletic career in the sport of fencing. He represented Canada as part of four cadet and junior National teams, retiring in 1997. He studied architecture at the University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...
, and gained work experience with the Catalan architect Enric Miralles
Enric Miralles
Enric Miralles Moya was a Spanish Catalan architect. He graduated from the School of Architecture of Barcelona at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya in 1978. After establishing his reputation with a number of collaborations with his first wife Carme Pinós, the couple separated in 1991...
in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
and Canadian architects John and Patricia Patkau in Vancouver. After a graduate degree, he worked for two architecture firms, before setting up on his own practice in 2005.
Omer Arbel Office began by designing and making limited edition furniture, most notably the 2.4 Chair, which was critically acclaimed, and is currently considered a collector's item. These early pieces were accessioned into various institutional and private collections, and exhibited in galleries including Spazio Rossana Orlandi, the Vancouver Art Gallery
Vancouver Art Gallery
The Vancouver Art Gallery is the fifth-largest art gallery in Canada and the largest in Western Canada. It is located at 750 Hornby Street in Vancouver, British Columbia...
and the Chicago Athenaeum Museum. Since then, several of Arbel's design pieces have gone into widespread production, most notably the 14 series chandelier, and 22 series plug socket, which also won a 2009 red dot design award
Red dot design award
The Red Dot Design Award is an international product design prize awarded by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, Germany. There are prize categories for product design, design agencies, and design concepts. Since 1955, designers and producers can apply for the prizes with the winners...
. There are two built architectural works by Arbel, a penthouse interior, and a private residence called 23.2, which was shortlisted for a 2010 World Architecture Festival Award. Arbel was awarded the commission to design the 2010 Winter Olympic medals, in collaboration with Artist Corrine Hunt. Arbel is the recipient of the Canada Council’s 2010 Ron Thom early design achievement Award.
Arbel is active as a guest critic, speaker and master’s thesis committee member at the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
School of Architecture.
External links
- Omer Arbel Office website
- BOCCI website
- Vancouver Maneuvers, interview with Omer Arbel in DwellDwell (magazine)Dwell is an American magazine devoted to modern architecture and design. It was launched in September 2000 by mail-order heiress Lara Hedberg Deam with architecture and design critic Karrie Jacobs as its editor-in-chief. In August 2002 Jacobs left the magazine and was replaced by senior editor...
- omer arbel office: seating, Designboom
- omer arbel office: lighting, Designboom
- http://www.wallpaper.com/gallery/architecture/interactive-floorplan-house-23.2-white-rock-vancouver/17052267 23.2 house in Wallpaper
- omer arbel Men's Epee (Junior)
- omer arbel UBC Thesis Reviews
- UBC School of Architecture Curriculum Proposal