ARCHITEXTURE 2017-2018

Designers: Richard Frinier, Richard Frinier Design Studio, Long Beach, California, USA
Manufacturer: Glen Raven / Sunbrella, Burlington, North Carolina, USA

Designer Richard Frinier shares his strong respect and appreciation for the importance architecture plays in society with a collection of Sunbrella® textiles. The Architexture Collection echoes architectural design elements found in surface and façade design. “I became inspired by the architectural movement taking place that involves the surfacing and resurfacing of buildings around the world,” Frinier said. “I am captivated by the many unique layers and materials, such as metals, glass, concrete and other new and repurposed materials, used to create these remarkable architectural facades. The outcome is compelling for the overall design, construct, and spatial effects and for the impact and influence these buildings have on society.” Architectural impressions continued to manifest throughout Frinier’s design process and the result is a versatile range of textiles with distinctive constructions, textures, patterns and colors. Fabrics in the Architexture Collection enhance and complement both interior and exterior spaces by design.

A synthesis of architectural forms and soaring skyscrapers, the pattern NYC translates the vertical facades of the iconic metropolis into a tapestry of urban living. LA is an abstract interpretation inspired by a modern building façade in Los Angeles. Kowloon, the densely-populated area of Hong Kong, was the inspiraiton behind Hi-Rise, which appears as a textured stripe of tiny windows.

Focusing on further on the design elements of architecture, Facade showcases an offset window pattern infused with reflective fiber for a shimmer that creates a sense of energy/ Frinier based geometric pattern Hexspace on an architectural window screen he saw on a French metropolitan high-rise building. And, the adaptation of a hex-shaped façade as seen on a Shenzhen skyscraper translated into Linx, a dimensional motif. Reimagined from the window wall of a New York skyscraper, Architex appears as a woven grid pattern, and Matrix is a honeycomb pattern originating from slate tiles that transforms into a three-dimensional fabric construction. To complete the collection, Struxture is a versatile construction that references the appearance of exterior surface materials and forms as the base textile for all of the Architexture Collection patterns. Color ways in the colleciton draw upon the building materials, hardscapes, environments and skyscapes surrounding these structural facades. The palette offers a wide range of colors including Vapor, Daylight, Sand, System, Stone, Steel, Brick, Green, Glass, Skyline and Midnight.