In mid-20th-century Europe, Margerete Jahny belonged to a rare demographic of industrial designer: She was an East German female. And according to design historian Günter Höhne, she was the first East German industrial designer, of any gender, with a university education.
The German Democratic Republic, as East Germany was ironically called, had a Central Institute of Design (later called the Office for Industrial Design) that oversaw all ID-related matters in the GDR. In the 1960s, the Institute tasked Jahny and fellow designer Erich Müller with designing a set of tableware for use in GDR canteens.
Jahny, who had worked in a restaurant as a child, understood the needs of servers; indeed she had already designed a coffee service system as a student, while studying at the Dresden University of Fine Arts. She dusted off her old designs, which consisted of stackable coffee cups, a creamer, a coffee pot with a no-drip spout, and a lid that could fit all three objects. All were to be made of ceramics, a material Jahny had gained familiarity with while working in a ceramics factory.
Müller refined the design of the lid, which required tight production tolerances to stay in place. He engineered it to stay put even when the coffee pot was held at a sharp angle, no small feat for a ceramic pressure fit.
The objects were well-designed and useful. A person could easily stack and carry multiple cups, and the coffee pot could be poured one-handed without needing the other hand to hold the lid on. The Rational line, as the objects were called, went into production in 1969 and was soon ubiquitous throughout the GDR.
Though the Rational cups and pots came to populate every public institution, canteen, hotel and restaurant in the GDR, Jahny and Müller of course never received any recognition; in fact GDR leadership reportedly derided the designs as “functionalist,” that term being a pejorative as it was associated with the Bauhaus and those evil West Germans.
Instead the objects became associated with the name “Mitropa.” That organization, which ran the trains, train station restaurants and gas stations in the GDR, had their name branded on the objects.
The Rational line remained in production throughout the ’70s and ’80s (though it was added to by designers other than Jahny and Müller).
After the Berlin Wall came down, production was halted forever. Today you can still find some preserved Rational pieces on secondhand sites—though they’re often branded, as this one is, “Mitropa” cups or pots.
These curious looking vintage “road glasses” were made by Kasper & Richter, a German manufacturer of precision instruments. They were designed for driving in bad weather, in the days when enclosed cars were a novelty. I am so curious to try a pair on to see what can actually be seen.
“These glasses with specially arranged viewing slits enable unobstructed vision while preventing rain from entering,” writes retailer FORMost. “The sophisticated design is reminiscent of steam punk and bionics. No matter where you go, you will attract attention.”
That is certainly true, as seen in these images below: An alternate vendor is selling a similar product branded with the company name, though I’d have guessed they were knockoffs. In any case they’re not exactly low-profile.
These curious looking vintage “road glasses” were made by Kasper & Richter, a German manufacturer of precision instruments. They were designed for driving in bad weather, in the days when enclosed cars were a novelty. I am so curious to try a pair on to see what can actually be seen.
“These glasses with specially arranged viewing slits enable unobstructed vision while preventing rain from entering,” writes retailer FORMost. “The sophisticated design is reminiscent of steam punk and bionics. No matter where you go, you will attract attention.”
That is certainly true, as seen in these images below: An alternate vendor is selling a similar product branded with the company name, though I’d have guessed they were knockoffs. In any case they’re not exactly low-profile.
Dezeen Showroom: moss, falling leaves and willow trees are among the reference points for a collection of carpet tiles created by Belgian flooring brand Modulyss.
Modulyss created the Handcraft collection to bring the beauty of nature indoors, with each mix-and-matchable design referencing a different plant or type of terrain.
The Handcraft carpet tile collection features nature-inspired designs that can be mixed and matched
Moss incorporates subtle furry, moss-like textures, while Leaf is inspired by the patterns that form on leaves as they age, and comes in a palette of autumn hues to emphasise that connection.
Willow references the cascading lines of willow branches and is said to bring a sense of serenity into spaces, while Grind takes a different tack and references the earthy look of well-trodden paths through landscape, with a slight tufting to the texture.
The designs include the calming Willow
“Through Handcraft, we celebrate the poetic harmony of nature and human craftsmanship, leaving an enduring imprint of their unity in every space,” said Modulyss.
The Handcraft carpet tiles are made with 100 per cent regenerated Econyl yarn, and are Cradle to Cradle certified when combined with ecoBack backing.
Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen’s huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.
Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.
Flat-packed products like tables and chairs have definitely changed the furniture design landscape and altered consumers’ tastes. But while these designs do make it easy to store, transport, and sometimes assemble pieces of furniture, they often also end up being bland in the name of minimalism, not to mention tedious and cumbersome to repair or dispose of, despite the supposed ease of assembly. Thanks to new manufacturing techniques and technologies, especially 3D printing, there are now alternative methods and designs possible, including a beautiful chair that’s not only made from sustainable materials but is trivial to assemble and disassemble because it doesn’t even use screws or adhesives.
Designer: Eva Dugintseva
3D printing has definitely come a long way from the flimsy plastic materials that they started out with. We can now print objects using a variety of materials, including metal, chocolate, and soon, even wood. It’s even possible to use recycled PS (polystyrene) plastic, which helps reduce the negative impact of mass-produced plastic chairs. That alone already makes the Som Chair concept notable, but that isn’t the only trick it knows, not by a long shot.
Thanks to 3D printing, it was possible to experiment with and use shapes that would normally be costly to pull off on a mass production line. In this case, the chair is made from two separate bent shapes with ridged surfaces that make them look like dozens of plastic tubes stuck to one another. The main structure of the chair has a small gap for the smaller piece to slide into, forming the three legs of the chair. Instead of using glue or screws, this simple mechanism, along with physics, give the chair its stability.
This means that the Som Chair isn’t just easy to assemble, it’s also easy to take apart if you need to move it or even dispose of it. It might be possible to break down and recycle the plastic to make other objects, making it a little bit more sustainable, despite being made of plastic. You can also mix and match designs or replace only parts that are broken, giving the design more longevity as well.
Granted, this design won’t be as flat as a flat-packed chair, but you can package two of these together in a single box. Being 3D printed, there’s also more leeway in possible designs, giving this asymmetrical Memphis Milano chair more personality than your common minimalist yet plain flat-packed variety.
Swiss toymaker Naef has been manufacturing this Cella toy since 1967.
It was designed by German polymath Peer Klahsen, whose career has included stints in carpentry, furniture design, fine art, architecture and writing. “He has a brilliant mind with an excellent mathematical-geometric understanding and spatial sense,” writes Naef.
The 10 x 10 x 10cm cube consists of one small cube and eight nesting components that can be endlessly reconfigured:
The pieces are made of Maple. In addition to blue, it comes in grey, red and its natural color.
Though designed as a toy, it is a bit pricey for kids; it runs 208 Swiss Francs, USD $231.
Dezeen Showroom: Italian studio AMDL Circle has created the Typo office chair for furniture brand Mara, which is characterised by its playfully bent form.
Typo is an office chair with a light timber base and backrest that are both gently curved in shape.
Typo is an office chair by AMDL Circle for Mara
Contrasting with the wood, the chair features a coloured metal structure with a distinctly lively silhouette.
The brand explained how it worked with AMDL Circle to form the design, which was created through “unconventional fine-tuning”.
It is characterised by a twisting metal structure
“By bending a square-section steel tube along the diagonal, the material deforms, curling and sharply creasing,” said Mara. “This detail generates the intentional and sought-after ‘error’ that is the soul of the project.”
“Typo, as a typing error, is almost an accidental mistake,” continued the brand, explaining the product’s playful name.
Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen’s huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.
Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.
Dubbed the Floating Glass Museum, this mesmerizing and jaw-dropping structure by Luca Curci architects in collaboration with Giulia Tassi Design is something to give a nod to. Designers and architects from around the world, as well as AI were also used to design the fantastic building. It is proposed as a unique and innovative symbol of environment awareness and sustainability, “where the history of glass meets the contemporary experimentation”. While designing the structure, the international design team drew inspiration from the fine art of glass-blowing that has been practiced by Venetians for around 1500 years. They harnessed the amazing power of AI to build the floating exhibition, which looks fragile and yet extremely powerful at the same go.
The setting of the museum is truly beautiful. As you look at it, you will be transported to another world, where the water on which it sits is reimagined as a canvas for artistic expression, while also sending an important message out to the world – the issue of climate change. “Climate change is now affecting every country on every continent,” reads the press release. “It is disrupting national economies, communities, and countries dearly today and even more tomorrow. Weather patterns are changing, sea levels are rising, weather events are becoming more extreme and greenhouse gas emissions are now at their highest levels in history.”
The AI-generated images and visuals showcase beautiful pastel-colored pieces of various sizes, ranging from hues of yellows, and oranges to pinks, offering viewers with an imagery that is bright, powerful, and almost frenetic. These loud pieces manage to create a space that is tranquil and almost meditative, while other pieces feature bright red and orange glass trees, and rather real-looking pink ones which establish a strong connection to the environment and nature. Other pieces seem to resemble massive chemistry sets!
The Floating Glass Museum is designed to represent a global environmental initiative, and it is created to be a space “where art, nature, and tradition converge: the balanced fusion of contemporary art and sustainable design that will invite contemplation, reflection and discovery” in the context of “cutting-edge design and a dedication to sustainability.”
Once again, the international design community and those seeking immense inspiration will assemble for Milan Design Week. Between Salone del Mobile (the marquee event held in the Fiera Milano fairgrounds) and Fuorisalone (the thousands of activations held across the city), we’re certain that once again we will be immersed in the future of design. From historic brands to emerging talent, between collective and monographic events, here are ten design experiences we await with greater anticipation.
Courtesy of Meritalia
“Morphologica” by Misha Kahn for Meritalia
American designer and sculptor Misha Kahn uses assembly as a form of expression between art and design—as he imagines eye-catching furniture and lighting objects. Kahn works mainly with design galleries and, for the first time, has embarked upon a partnership with a design brand, Meritalia. It’s an apt match that’s to continue a dialogue started by his predecessors, including the great Gaetano Pesce. This will be visible at Salone del Mobile, in Hall 24 at Booth M10-M12.
Courtesy of Seletti
Seletti Market at La Rinascente
For Milan Design Week, Seletti will occupy a central space in The Design Supermarket at La Rinascente department store. The irreverent Italian brand will recreate a ’50s American supermarket with a cash register, carts, shopping bags and more. For the occasion, “Love Hurts You,” a domestic sculpture designed by internationally acclaimed digital artist Gianpiero D’Alessandro, will also be presented. As usual, Seletti will also animate the Design Pride, which is set to be held on Wednesday, 17 April and will conclude with a party at the Arco della Pace.
Meronyms by Studio Khachatryan. Courtesy of the studio and Baranzate Ateliers
Baranzate Atelier
Hosted for the second time in Milan, Baranzate Ateliers features a selection of 35 studios, with 15 guests chosen specifically by Belgian artist Lionel Jadot and Zaventem Ateliers. Spanning across 7,300 square meters, the exhibition space is set inside a monumental industrial site from the ’50s and includes Belgium is Design and the work of Millim Studio, Studio Khachatryan, Diederik Schneemann and many more. The location is closer to Linate Airport than the city center, aligning with a suite of must-see peripheral events, such as Alcova, Fabbrica Bini and Fondazione ICA.
Courtesy of Azimut
“Mooring by the Moon” by Michele de Lucchi + ADML Circle for Azimut
Designed by Alberto Mancini, and Matteo Thun and Antonio Rodriguez, the “motoryachts” of the Seadeck Series by Azimut invoke efforts at sustainability. The engines of these luxuriant vehicles are hybrid and allow a 40% reduction of emissions, and the hull and furniture make substantial use of sustainable and recycled materials. One of the Seadeck boats will float in the pool of the Bagni Misteriose, next to a gigantic moon. The installation is executed by Michele de Lucchi + ADML Circle for Azimut and intends to connect visitors to the sea while in the city center.
Courtesy of Accurat, Design Group Italia and Emiliano Ponzi
Installations and cultural programs at Salone del Mobile
This year, a series of extraordinary installations will punctuate the pavilions at Salone del Mobile. “Interiors by David Lynch. A Thinking Room,” curated by Antonio Monda, is rooted in the fact that the American director loves design and makes furniture himself. In a large, round space defined by red velvet curtains, visitors will experience two twin rooms full of surprises. With “Under the Surface” by Accurat, Design Group Italia and Emiliano Ponzi, visitors will learn more about water through data and storytelling. Also Formafantasma will take part of the cultural events at Salone, thanks to the Drafting Futures Arena, as well as the Mobile Library and the Corraini Bookshop.
Courtesy of Maria Vittoria Paggini
“Porno Chic. A far l’amore comincia tu” by Maria Vittoria Paggini
Sometimes design takes itself too seriously. That’s not the case with “Porno Chic. A far l’amore comincia tu,” an interior design project by Maria Vittoria Paggini in the heart of 5Vie District at Casa Ornella (Via Conca del Naviglio, 10). Paggini invites attendees to rediscover the home as a sanctuary, and a destination for intimacy and joyfulness, thanks to lively colors, unconventional decorations, opulent art and a lot of smiling.
Courtesy of Porsche
“The Pattern of Dreams” by Numen/For Use for Porsche
Porsche returns to Milan Design Week with “The Pattern of Dreams,” the fifth iteration of their traveling art and design initiative, “The Art of Dreams,” at Palazzo Clerici. Numen/For Use will demonstrate their expertise in set and spatial design through an intricate interweaving of wires, which will serve as the basis for a range of performances. This will encourage reflections on rhythm, repetition and movement—starting with the Pepita pattern, used for the first time in the interiors of the mythical Porsche 356 C and 911 models. In addition, a limited furniture collection by Vitra for Porsche, will also be unveiled.
Courtesy of Nilufar
“Time Traveler” curated by Nina Yashar at Nilufar
Acclaimed design gallery Nilufar will use its locations in Viale Lancetti and Via della Spiga to unveil a synthesis of the past and future of design under the title “Time Traveler.” Founder and curator Nina Yashar is known worldwide for her distinct taste, and the ability to make everything she touches feel timeless, no matter if that’s something from the ’50s or a brand new commission. Among the most anticipated items there will be those made by Gupica and Draga & Aurel.
Courtesy of Isola Design District
“This future is currently unavailable” at Isola Design District
Driven by the phrase “this future is currently unavailable,” Isola Design District has now reached its eighth edition, confirming itself as the reference point for research and collectible design. Strengthened by experiences at Tanween in Saudi Arabia and at Dubai Design Week, this year Isola will bring infuse destinations through the exhibitions “Routes to Roots” and “Anatolia.” The district will also showcase Lampo Milano, a new urban redevelopment project that extends over 40,000 square meters within the historic Farini railway yard. Between coworking, cultural events, workshops and pop-up galleries, it will host the exhibitions “Is One Life Enough?” and “Isola Design Gallery,” both dedicated to collectible design.
“Making Sense of Color” by Ivy Ross and Chromasonic for Google
In recent years Google has continued to inspire us with installations that know how to surprise and encourage thought. With “Making Sense of Color” at Garage 21, vice president of hardware design, Ivy Ross, and the Google team partneredwith the Chromasonic collective to probe the deep link between color and all the senses, from sight to taste, smell and touch.
Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando has created a snake-informed watch as the latest addition to Bulgari‘s Serpenti range.
Named Serpenti Tuboga x Tadao Ando, the collection of four watches are Ando’s take on Bulgari‘s Serpenti range of jewellery where each piece has a form of a stylised serpent with head and tail.
Tadao Ando has designed a serpent-like watch for Bulgari
“Tadao Ando possesses a rare creativity, inspired by nature and its transient character,” said Bulgari executive director of product creation Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani.
“Aligning with Serpenti felt instinctive. In a metaphor for time and transformation, indeed for the renewal of nature itself: the serpent likewise sheds its skin and emerges anew, its colors transformed.”
The watch has faces made from aventurine, tiger’s eye and mother of pearl
Ando aimed to bring to mind the four seasons with the watches and each has a face coloured to evoke a season.
The first watch in the collection – summer – aims to “capture the lush intensity of a sun-drenched forest” and has a face made from green aventurine, a form of quartzite, with a strap made of yellow gold and steel.
For autumn, the watch’s face is made of tiger’s eye – a red-brown gemstone – while winter has a face made of white mother of pearl. The spring version was designed to evoke cherry blossom trees and has a pink mother-of-pearl face.
All of the watches were finished with a bezel incorporating 38 diamonds. They will all be encased in a box designed and signed by Tadao Ando, while his signature is engraved on the rear of the pieces.
The four watches were each designed to evoke a season
Ando is the latest Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning architect to design a watch, with fellow winner Frank Gehry creating a transparent watch for luxury brand Louis Vuitton that was informed by his Fondation Louis Vuitton buildings.
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Image: Von Christos Vittoratos – CC BY-SA 3.0
Image: Von Christos Vittoratos – CC BY-SA 3.0 
Image: Von Softeis – CC BY-SA 3.0 
