IIDA Northland

Nick Luzietti, FIIDA of VOA (Chicago), sees himself as a director or artist rather than an interior designer or architect. His artistic vision requires one to think out side of the box and seek inspiration from dreams, emotions and imagination, lifting ordinary projects to the level of art. One may consider this the "fifth dimension of design". Nick frequently draws inspiration from cinema. One of the most influential films for Mr. Luzietti is the 1920 German Expressionist silent film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

Film was a new medium at the time of production. The directors saw the medium as a new type of artistic expression- a collaboration between writers and painters, cameramen, actors and directors. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari features a wild, distorted set design with the main characters vesting a village carnival where they encounter the mysterious and visionary showman, Dr. Caligari. Through the Dr.'s hypnotic visions, the crooked and misshapen sets and backgrounds, lighting and shadows, the film teach us that design and architecture can stand for mood.

Nick Luzietti, and his team from VOA in Chicago, along with IIDA Northland invite you to join us for our 2010 Summer Party- Dr. Caligari's Dance Party. A visionary character himself, Nick will transform into the spirit of Dr. Caligari and lead the production- melding cinema and performance with cocktails, food and dance. The space; a visual fantasy with a cast of characters at the stunning LAB Theater in Minneapolis. The mood; an amusing visionary experience starring you.

Event details:

8 PM doors open- opening reception at the LAB Theater street level
Host sponsor KNOLL signature cocktail served
Taco truck serving delicacies, like tacos
Food provided by Formica and Knoll Textiles
9 PM doors close
production and dance party begins in the LAB Theater subterranean level

Please arrive by 9 PM, you will not want to be late. If you arrive after 9:00 PM, you may miss something fun, and the taco truck.

Attire:
Attendees are encouraged to wear black or white (or a combination of both) or attire inspired by the film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

Theatrical make-up and special props will be available for use. Please dress in comfortable clothing that allows you to groove. Don't know what to wear? Wear something that you feel good in.

Parking:
Street parking is available as well as a pay lot directly across from the Lab Theater (credit cards are accepted). There is a Twins game Friday afternoon (and a taco truck parked outside of the theater), so street parking may not be readily available.

Tickets:
Tickets will be available at the door beginning at 8:00pm
$25.00 IIDA Members
$35.00 non members

Drink:
A signature cocktail, sponsored by our host sponsor KNOLL will be provided upon entry.

The KNOLL: Refreshing and citrusy, this bubbly cocktail features Minnesota's own Prairie Organic Vodka, Lime, Hibiscus Syrup, and Sparkling Wine.

Signature cocktails developed for this event, beer, wine and nonalcoholic beverages will be available for purchase at the event (credit cards and cash accepted). Cocktails, wine and beer will range in price from $5-8 dollars.

Bittercube Mixologists are dedicated to the advancement of the classic and neo-classic cocktail. We use fresh citrus and house-made syrups in our cocktails and have developed a line of liqueurs and bitters for your enjoyment. The cocktails on this custom menu were inspired by the film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

Online registration is now closed.
Onsite registration will open at 8:00 pm

More about Nick Luzietti...

From Interior Design Magazine 2010 Hall of Fame Award:

Every day on his way to work in Chicago, Nick Luzietti sketches. He carts his notebook and pencil onto the el train and, plugged into his iPod, draws nonstop until he's deposited downtown. He draws so quickly and furiously that, on at least one occasion, his pencil has flown across the car. "The drawing takes you someplace, like a dream," he says. "That is my moment, the time when I'm most inspired."

Luzietti is the design principal of VOA Associates. Even so, he says, "I don't see myself as an architect and interior designer. I see myself as a director or an artist."

The sketches helped pave his way. Growing up in Cincinnati, he recalls, he used to imagine being an engineer. Until he showed his sketches to his high-school guidance counselor, that is. "He saw them and recommended architecture," Luzietti says. And that's what he went on to study at the University of Cincinnati-the first from his large Italian-American family to go to college.

He switched to interiors in 1975, after five years in architecture. "I was looking for a place where I could show my personality," he continues, a shock of gray curls atop his head. He may be designing serious office interiors, but there's adventure in the approach. "The key is to show who you really are, where you came from," he says. "Society is built on the idea of stripping away personality. I think that's a mistake. You have to get outside the standard procedures and methods."

Computers don't dictate his method. Rather, he relies on cardboard models, sketches, and an interactive process with clients. In that way, he's old-fashioned, but he's anything but staid.

For the Delaware showroom of a company that developed instruments to test bodily fluids, he channeled the human circulatory system. That translated into curved shapes inspired by the concept of a cell's nucleus. For the headquarters of the Chicago marathon, he thought about the parks that runners pass along the way, then used that image to design the meeting rooms as open and spacious "parks" with benches instead of sofas. Nearby, a long wall is dotted with small, round, color-changing LEDs representing the runners. As the wall progresses, the number of lights dwindles to one, a metaphor for the first person to cross the finish line.

Designing his latest project, the Chicago headquarters of the newly merged MillerCoors, he had a large brewing kettle airlifted by helicopter to the top of the building. A real pub serves up beer to employees and guests, and each floor is branded to represent a specific product in the company's portfolio. Sunlight cascades into the open plan, saving on energy costs; 95 percent of the construction waste was diverted from landfill to recycling; all systems and equipment are energy-efficient; and a LEED application is in the works.

One of the projects closest to his heart is Chicago's St. Vincent de Paul Center for disadvantaged and at-risk children. When he asked them what they wanted most in a school, their answer was: "Jacuzzis and security cameras." The former response was silly, the latter serious-but Luzietti took both into account. He designed a play zone in three parts, one of which is a "water area" clad in natural linoleum and used for splashing around with hoses. To address the safety concerns, he installed round windows low enough for children to see the outside, which gives them a sense of security.

"It's my dream to lift ordinary projects to the level of art," Luzietti says. "Art is connected to us being kids." A perfect sentiment for a 62-year-old who's quick to say he's just a kid at heart.

www.voa.com