Nedda El-Asmar Does Interior Decoration of Scientific Base in Antarctica

2 January 2009 • The ‘International Polar Foundation’ requested Nedda El-Asmar, Belgian designer of the Year 2007, to take care of the interior decoration of the scientific research station ‘Princess Elisabeth’ in Antarctica. Thanks to the well-thought selection of materials and objects, which are mainly produced by Belgian companies, 25 scientists will be able to carry out their research and live in a pleasing and comfortable environment. Nedda also designed special tableware and cutlery for the Antarctic base.

“Shortly after Alain Hubert, chairman of the International Polar Foundation, had seen the tableware that I had designed for the Princess Elisabeth base, he asked me if I wanted to do the interior decoration of the scientific research station itself. I understood immediately that this was a true once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”, said Nedda.

The difficulty was that the project had to be finalised within two months time. Materials and objects were chosen from official suppliers Libeco, Royal Boch, Vitra Belgium, Clei, and suppliers Demeyere, Recticel, Villeroy & Boch and AVG.

“My business associate Erik Indekeu and myself made a selection of functional and aesthetic interior design objects such as tables, chairs, beds, mattresses, bed linen, kitchen material and tableware. The choice of the objects and materials was heavily influenced by criteria such as quality, sustainability and respect for people and the environment during the production process.” Nedda added: “The companies, which cooperated, contributed in a considerable way by sponsoring many materials”.

Antarctic Tableware
Nedda designed a unique tableware set, especially made for the Princess Elisabeth Base. It will be presented on 15th February 2009, the day of the official inauguration of the Antarctic Station. She also designed a matching cutlery set, which will be produced just like the tableware by Royal Boch. The cutlery set will become available later this year.

Construction of the new Belgian base in Antarctica began in 2007, 110 years after the renowned Belgica expedition of Adrien de Gerlache in 1897. This unique station, built on a mountain ridge in East Antarctica, is the only polar base, which runs entirely on renewable energy sources and does not emit any carbon dioxide. This technological achievement shows that if the climate challenge can be fought from remote Antarctica, the same can be done from the rest of the world.
www.nedda.be
www.antarcticstation.org

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The scientific base ‘Princess Elisabeth’ in Antarctica offers, with its ultramodern facilities, shelter to 25 scientists who will carry out research on climate change. Antarctica beholds valuable archives of our planet's past climate. A better understanding of prior climate changes will lead to new insights on how urgent climate issues should be dealt with today.
www.polarfoundation.org

Nedda El-Asmar studied jewellery design and silversmithing at the Royal Academy for Fine Arts in Antwerp and the Royal College of Art in London. She works for renowned names as Hermès, Puiforcat, Royal Boch, Eternum, Villeroy & Boch, Gense, Obumex, Carl Mertens and Robbe & Berking. Her designs have earned numerous awards and prizes. In 1997, she won the Henry van de Velde Award for young talent, and in 2007, Nedda was proclaimed Belgian Designer of the Year. Last year, at the 21st Biannual for Industrial Design (BIO.21) in Ljubljana (Slovenia), she was given an honourable mention by the international jury for her Appetize cutlery set. By now, Appetize got already three international prizes. A few weeks ago, Nedda got for the second time a nomination for the prestigious ‘Talents du Luxe’, which can be considered as the Oscars in the world of design. Since 2007, Nedda also teaches at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp.

Photo © International Polar Foundation