Product news: this armchair by London designer Benjamin Hubert weighs just three kilograms.
Called Membrane, the chair by Benjamin Hubert for German brand Classicon comprises a steel and aluminium frame covered in 3D-woven mesh fabric.
“The chair stems from research into the construction of tents and sports products with a focus on space frames and stretched textile,” says Hubert.
The CNC-shaped framework is wrapped in a 3D-woven stretchy textile cover with integrated seat pads, fastened with zips.
“The combination of metal frame and padded textile allows Membrane to use a minimal amount of polyurethane foam – a conventional armchair would be covered almost entirely with foam – therefore reducing the carbon footprint of this type of product,” Hubert adds.
Chinese design studio Neri&Hu will present a collection of wooden furniture for De La Espada in New York later this month (+ slideshow).
Tray Desk
New items in the collection for the woodwork brand include the Opium Sofa, Solo Table and Tray Desk.
Opium Sofa
Neri&Hu took the typology of a Chinese Tang Dynasty opium bed and modified it to create a sofa, which has shelves under the deep arms for storage.
Solo Table
The oval Solo table sits on two sets of three legs, each arranged in a triangle.
Tray Desk
A two-tier desk folds out into a vanity table, with a mirror in the top shelf and a drawer full of different sized compartments in the lower bottom shelf.
Opium Sofa
Neri&Hu’s previous designs including the Extend Mirrors that prop up against the wall, slender Duet Chairs, plus their Solo Series of lounge and dining shell chairs are now being produced solely for De La Espada.
Solo Table
The collection will be shown at an exhibition in New York’s meatpacking district during the city’s design week from 18 to 21 May.
Opium beds for communal lounging have been in China since the Tang Dynasty, when opium smoking became an accepted social activity which necessitated a comfortable and presentable piece of furniture for receiving guests. neri&hu took this historic typology and updated it to create a contemporary sofa with a simple profile that retains the deep seat and low back of its inspiration. Flanking the sofa are deep arms which form two useful shelves, as well as side tables for books or a cup of tea. The solid wood frame cradles our tired bodies on a lazy Sunday morning, as addicts to our newspapers and coffee instead of the opium in imperial China.
Tray Desk
Trays function as a surface container for collectables, and this multi-tasking desk/vanity table was designed as two stacking trays on a light wooden frame . Contemporary lifestyles demand furniture to be more mobile and flexible, servicing multiple functions, while remaining lightweight for easy transport. This piece responds to that need, using the analogy of trays on trestles as a point of departure.
Solo Table
Solo Table is a solid wood dining table with purity of form and material.
Extend Mirror
Extend Mirrors
In the past, common bamboo ladders were used as household objects inside and outside country homes in China, functioning as an ever-ready stand for hanging a wide variety of things from tools and cloths to dried food. As a tribute to this utilitarian household symbol, neri&hu used three different ladder proportions to make a set of solid hardwood frames for floor standing mirrors. They lean on the floor in a casual manner, as ladders do, and can be used alone or as an interesting ensemble of many ladders with varying heights on the wall.
Solo Series (chair and table)
Inspired by the Eames Shell Chair, the Solo Chair is an updated version that transforms the early industrial look of the Eames iconic chair into a sophisticated, comfortable chair that is suitable both in domestic and commercial settings.
Solo chairs are a “universe within a chair”, wherein the upholstered shell hugs the sitting body to create a microcosmic universe for the person, where the chair becomes an object of shelter and refuge, where the person can be “solo” and undisturbed while being hugged in this position.
An upholstered foam-covered shell creates the universe that is the chair, and claims its singular autonomy in function, form, and beauty.
Duet Chair
The name speaks to the tectonic nature of the construction. Two pieces of bentwood work as a duet, creating the overall shape of the chair. They are stacked one on top of another to form the backrest, and while one extends to create the arm and front legs, the other turns to form the back legs. Originally created as a variation on the classic Thonet bent-wood tradition, the Duet Chair takes on a quiet yet graceful demeanor that is not unlike the German-Austrian classic original.
Duet Chair
Neri&Hu Launches Collaboration with De La Espada
New York Design Week, 18-21 May 2013 at 345meatpacking
New York Design Week 2013 marks the launch of collaboration between Shanghai-based inter-disciplinary architectural practice, Neri&Hu Design and Research Office and leading modern woodworker, De La Espada. The launch event is presented by The Future Perfect at 345meatpacking, a stunning building by DDG. A large-scale purpose-built installation by Neri&Hu sets the scene for the debut of over ten new products born of their collaboration with De La Espada.
A unique sensory environment, the Neri&Hu installation for New York Design Week communicates at once the Neri&Hu approach to interiors and architecture, and their evolution toward product design.
Over ten new products will launch at the event, utilising timber extensively and spanning the needs of the home from dining to living spaces. The pieces are designed by Neri&Hu for their product brand ‘neri&hu’ and manufactured in premium materials by De La Espada craftsmen in Portugal.
The Future Perfect, host of the exhibition, will be the exclusive retailer of neri&hu furniture in the New York City and San Francisco areas.
Milan 2013: German designer Ingo Maurer’s table without any legs has gone into production with British brand Established & Sons.
The white table top appears to float at first glance, but is in fact supported on an extended arm from each of the four black chairs.
Ingo Maurer devised a hidden mechanism beneath the table that allows the chairs to be pulled out so users can sit down. Rectangular and circular surfaces are available.
The wooden table was first conceived in 2012 and has since been put into production with Established & Sons. The furniture was shown at Ventura Lambrate in Milan last month.
Here is some extra information from Established & Sons:
This innovative piece is the first production table from the widely celebrated designer, Ingo Maurer. On first inspection, it appears to be archetypal wooden kitchen table and chairs but on closer viewing the table is revealed as ‘floating’; without any legs, supported by a simple extending mechanism which connects the chairs. Maurer has drawn inspiration from magic, ethereal substance and weightlessness. Floating Table invites the user to look more carefully at their simple daily objects and furniture for elements of surprise.
Milan 2013: Foster + Partners has designed a coffee table made by stretching a perforated disk of steel upwards to form a metal-mesh base.
The Teso table by Foster + Partners for Molteni&C is pressed and twisted into a tapered cylinder by a robotic arm.
A circular transparent glass top allows the structure to be seen from any angle. It’s available in a brushed stainless-steel, brushed brass or bronze-painted finish.
Milan 2013: Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola unveiled a chair with a backrest wrapped in rush for Italian brand Moroso in Milan this month.
Patricia Urquiola’s Mathilda chair for Moroso has a curved plywood backrest, which comes encased in woven rush or in fabric and is bound to the A-shaped wooden legs with a contrasting colour.
Milan 2013:Zaha Hadid folded a round sheet of plastic to create this chair for Italian brand Sawaya & Moroni (+ slideshow).
The single indigo-coloured sheet has been creased along two lines so the edges almost meet at the back, then bent in the middle to create the seat and backrest.
Edges that touch the floor have been levelled to stabilise the chair.
Scored bands follow the shape of the seat and curve around droplet shaped holes in each side.
Milan 2013: designer Dennis Parren has developed a light bulb that casts coloured shadows.
The CMYK bulb by Dennis Parren combines a white main light source with coloured LEDs in red, green and blue to cast shadows in cyan, magenta and yellow.
“It is easier to produce and you find yourself more in [the] mainstream of lighting,” says Parren of the new design. “That makes it many times more accessible.” He expects the bulb to be priced around €95 when it appears in shops.
CMYK bulb and Diamond shade
The prototype was showcased at Spazio Rossana Orlandi in Milan this month, together with a shade Parren developed especially to complement the bulb.
The faceted Diamond shade is made of paper covered in tiny pin-pricks to scatter coloured dots of light onto surrounding surfaces.
CMYK bulb shown with Ikea Knappa shade
“The shade derived from a previous project, the RGB Galaxy,” he says. “I chose this shape because the light sparkles through the little holes like a real diamond.”
Milan 2013:wingback armchairs by Spanish designer Jaime Hayón for Danish brand Republic of Fritz Hansen were unveiled in Milan earlier this month (+ slideshow).
Ro, meaning “tranquility” in Danish, features a curved seat shell that swoops out on both sides to form armrests and dips inward at the neck to follow the shape of the user’s body.
Separate rounded cushions for the headrest, back and seat are covered in a slightly different texture to the shell they sit in.
Two small buttons at chest height provide small details on the otherwise uninterrupted surfaces.
The chair is supported on four smooth, rounded legs that can be chosen in different coloured woods or metals.
Nine different fabric colour options and a variety of materials including leather and velvet are available.
Read on for more information from Republic of Fritz Hansen:
Ro – the new comfort zone
The world-renowned Spanish designer Jaime Hayon has worked together with Republic of Fritz Hansen to create today’s answer to tomorrow’s easy chair. A chair where you can find room for your inner space and take a break from the hectic bustle of everyday life. The chair is called Ro and will be launched at Salone del Mobile 2013 in Milan.
Time for reflection is a luxury in today’s world. We are all busy and always short of time to create a moment for quiet contemplation. The new easy chair springs from a desire to create a piece of furniture that offers an opportunity for reflection in our busy lives.
However, Ro is much more than an easy chair. It’s a 11⁄2-seater where you can relax, change positions and have your newspaper, computer or child next to you and create a new comfort zone.
The design of the shell is elegant and simple, pleasing to both the eye and the body and offers the promise of tranquility in both its visual expression and its comfortable functionality. Furthermore, the form of the shell gives you the choice of being part of what goes on in the room or relaxing in your own private space.
Fritz Hansen’s design brief to Jaime Hayon was “… to create a comfortable seat for one person”. “We put a great deal of effort into the form of the chair, which is inspired by the human body. We wanted a chair that was comfortable as well as beautiful. My goal was to create a slim and elegant chair that encourages reflection and comfort,” says Jaime Hayon.
“Ro” means tranquility in Danish. The name was chosen because it captures the point of the chair in just two letters, thus reflecting the Nordic approach and concept of beauty.
Ro is made with great craftsmanship and in the highest sustainable quality. Combined with the sculptural and elegant design, the result is a functional and aesthetic chair that fascinates its surroundings. One seems to fall in love with it. Ro does not compromise on either comfort or aesthetics.
The easy chair is available in nine colours: three traditional options (black, grey and taupe), three bright colours (violet, blue and yellow) and three soft colours (light pink, sage-green and sand). For a more vibrant look, the chair features two different textures: one for the seat shell and one for the cushions, which supports the contrasted expression of the hard shell and the warm and soft interior.
Ro is launched in the Republic of Fritz Hansen’s showroom in Milan during Salone Internazionale del Mobile in April 2013. The easy chair will be available from Republic of Fritz Hansen and authorized retailers from September 2013.
The pieces are made from tubular recycled aluminium, held in place under the tractor-inspired seat by a component with six connecting points referred to as “the heart”.
The range now includes a lounge chair and side chair plus tables in two heights, made of sandblasted aluminium with clear, red or black finishes.
Chair seats come in wood harvested close to the Emeco factory in Pennsylvania, upholstery in leather or fabric, or reclaimed polypropylene like that used in Philippe Starck’s Broom chair shown last year.
Detailed to perfection with a classic appearance, the Parrish Collection by Emeco and German designer Konstantin Grcic was first made for the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, New York.
The externally modest building of the Parrish Art Museum holds an internal complexity, just like the Parrish Collection – a set of chairs and tables with a subtle design and a heartfelt technical core. “Developing the mobile interiors for the Parrish Art Museum brings us to the peculiar psychology around chairs used in public spaces – exploring the idea of comfort using very little material.
Considering the public self-awareness in a museum seat, the Parrish chair was given a generous seat and a round tube, forming a belt that defines the space around you – a space where you can feel protected,” says Konstantin Grcic.
The Parrish lounge and side chairs are part of a modular collection, featuring three frames with four optional seats. The recycled aluminum sandblasted frames are available in clear anodized, red or black powder coated finishes.
The frames can be combined with different seat types; reclaimed polypropylene, locally sourced wood from Lancaster, PA, Danish fabric from Kvadrat or three luxurious leathers from Spinneybeck. These choices enable different combinations, creating a versatile family. All chairs with reclaimed polypropylene seats are suitable for outdoor use. The table bases are available in two recycled aluminum sandblasted finishes, the clear anodized aluminum finish or the black powder coated finish, in two different heights as café and side tables, which can be combined with two alternative Trespa table tops in pastel grey or black.
“The collaboration with Emeco was always an important part of the project, something I had in mind as an obvious choice for the kind of furniture we needed. It is simply the only company I could think of who could bring a nice mix for this interior concept, specialists in aluminum, delivering another kind of material appearance, environmentally sound, perfect for the both indoor and outdoor and being such a truly American company – it was a perfect match,“ says Grcic.
“When Konstantin asked me if Emeco would be interested in collaborating with him on the Parrish Art Museum I was thrilled. Konstantin is one of the most innovative and original industrial designers of today,” says Emeco’s CEO Gregg Buchbinder. “Konstantin’s degree of perfection combined with his analytical rigor made the product development process deliberate and thoughtful. He managed to leverage our heritage and at the same time push Emeco into the future. The Parrish Chair reminds me of something Le Corbusier might have designed in the 1920’s; yet at the same time, it looks fresh, modern, and original – it’s a real artifact of our current culture, a future classic,” Buchbinder continues.
“I have always had a fascination and admiration of the hard physical labor of the production of the iconic Emeco Navy chair. My ambition for the collaboration was, therefore, to do something that uses the same aluminum work but makes the process more effective, less physically challenging. I think the design of the Parrish chair comes from a close understanding of what Emeco can really do,” says Konstantin.
Park Life is a complete family of furniture for outdoors, whose clean cut profile is adaptable to a wide range of different situations. Lightweight, yet extremely durable, it’s easily stacked for transport or winter storage and its technical sophistication and careful consideration of ergonomics besides a lot of care over how it looks are all intended to ensure a long life, both structurally and visually.
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