Hasta La Ideas

Stockholm 2011: 20 designers presented their work among stuffed animals and dried plants inside the vitrines of the Biologiska museum in Stockholm last week.

Visitors ascended double spiral staircases at the centre of the building, draped with clothing by Katrin Greiling and lighting by David Taylor, before arriving at a 360-degree two-storey diorama filled with taxidermy.

Designers including Fredrik Färg and Staffan Holm presented work on the circular landings and inside glass cases.

Further pieces were on display inside the diorama itself and in the museum’s ground floor hallways, including work by Mark Braun of Germany and Florian Hauswirth of Switzerland.

The exhibition, called 20 Designers at Biologiska, was curated by French designer Emma Marga Blanche and Dutch designer Fredrik Färg in collaboration with museum director Lars-Erik Larsson and Hanna Nova Beatrice of Plaza Magazine.

Stockholm Design Week took place 7-13 February. See all our coverage of the event here »

More animals on Dezeen »

The information that follows is from the curators:

INTERNATIONAL DESIGN IN THE SWEDISH NATURE.

WELCOME TO A MAGICAL & DIFFERENT DESIGN EXPERIENCE IN A FANTASTIC MUSEUM.

An exhibition that is about evolution, diversity, and universality, where contemporary design, art and light is housed in an unexpected context. A magical place of historical and emotional value that creates a dialogue between the stationary artificial scenery and the always variable design stage. Curated by Fredrik Färg, Emma Marga Blanche and Hanna Nova Beatrice.

The French-born designer Emma Marga Blanche visited ”Biologiska” Museum for the first time Christmas 2009. She was immediately mesmerized by the fantastic scenery. Even the inhabitants of Stockholm know more about the outside of the Museum than the magic inside, that revealed itself for Emma like a frozen treasure of nature from 1893. The idea of showing the location to others began to germinate.

In April 2010 Emma visited the site with Fredrik Färg and met Lars-Erik Larsson, the head of the museum, who vividly described the museum and its interesting history. The idea of a design exhibition within the premises was born and Fredrik who likes anything but white boxes as the backdrop for his work engaged himself.

In the autumn of 2010, it became clear that Lars-Erik of “Biologiska” and Hanna Nova Beatrice from Plaza Magazine together with Emma and Fredrik would create the event: ”20 designers at Biologiska” at Stockholm Design Week 2011.

It includes, as its name implies, 20 national and international designers from more than 15 countries. From the Netherlands to Italy, Sweden and Canada. Designers like Duilio Forte, Valantin Loellman, Cate & Nelson, Cooper & Gorfer as well as the curators themselves will have their contemporary design represented in the dioramas of Biologiska. Biologiska, which in principle is a daylight museum will be shown in new and exciting ways made possible by the main partners, lighting companies Cardi and Elektroskandia Belysning.

The “Biologiska museet” is situated at Djurgården and was built in 1893. The architecture is inspired by the medieval Norwegian stave churches.

The pioneering educational aspect of the museum was the use of the diorama for the first time on a grand scale in order to present the natural habitat. The perspective of the diorama unites foreground and background. The large, painted backgrounds are the work of Bruno Liljefors who is famous for his dramatic painting of birds and animals.

The vast diorama, which can be viewed from two levels, presents the different types of landscape from inland Sweden as well as from the coast.

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Avifauna by Maarten Kolk & Guus Kusters	Taxidermy artwork by Idiots	Jewellery and objects by Kelly McCallum

Stockholm 2011: German designer Katrin Greiling created the Design Bar at this week’s Stockholm Furniture Fair, featuring these orange cardboard hoods suspended over wooden loungers.

The project also included a pineapple-shaped bar and piles of cushions lashed together with rope.

See Jonas Wagell’s Design Bar for last year’s fair in our earlier story.

Stockholm Furniture Fair continues until 12 February. See all our coverage of the event here »

Here are some more details from Stockholm Furniture Fair:

Cultural diversity at the Design Bar

Stockholm Furniture Fair and Northern Light Fair have commissioned industrial designer and interior architect Katrin Greiling to design 2011′s Design Bar and VIP Lounge. She is inviting visitors on a journey with references to a multitude of cultures.

“The Design Bar and VIP Lounge for 2011 will not follow any linear narrative; they will instead be a hybrid that is impossible to define.

The exhibition space, which covers 320 m², contains references to different cultures influenced by all my global experiences and impressions.

From a narrative perspective I am creating an accessible landscape that calls to mind the genuine European, the old town, but which also conjures up an artistic idiom characterised by cultural diversity that harks back to my time in the Middle East,” explains Katrin.

Her design draws on different visual styles that encourage the visitor to become a part of the interior and be enticed into a game of perception. The interior deals with the private and the public in a way that calls into question our concept of seclusion and how we react to space and status. Cardboard and plywood are recurring materials that are combined with a poetic projection of the actual content.

Katrin Greiling is an industrial designer, interior architect and photographer who hails originally from Munich. She founded Studio Greiling after completing a Masters in Interior Architecture and Furniture Design at the University College of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm, and she now works with clients including Askul, OFFECCT and Graniph. She has won several awards and has exhibited at events such as Wallpaper Handmade in Milan 2010, as well as Salone del Mobile in Milan, 100% Design in London and Swedish Style in Tokyo.

The purpose of the Design Bar, which is a combined exhibition and bar, is to highlight a Swedish designer or group. On previous occasions the bar has been designed by architectural practice Marge, design group Front, design duo BrobergRidderstråle, the duo Save our Souls, the design collective Camp Site, and most recently Jonas Wagell. The Design Bar is now sharing space with the VIP Lounge in the newly-constructed part of Hall A/East entrance.

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Bidoun series by Katrin Greiling	Ananas by Study O Portable	Pentaphone by Robert Stadler

Stockholm 2011: Swedish furniture company Massproductions present this simple steel-framed armchair at Stockholm Furniture Fair this week.

Called Jig, the chair has a frame made of 10 steel tubes welded together.

The design is painted and upholstered in a range of colour combinations.

Stockholm Furniture Fair continues until 12 February. See all our coverage of the event here »

See also: Tio by Massproductions.

More furniture on Dezeen »

Here’s some more information from Massproductions:

Jig – New chair by Chris Martin for Massproductions.

The outline of an armchair is traced with painted steel tubes, the back and seat voids are then filled with tailored panels. The Jig chair frame is made from 10 steel tubes, each of them simple components in themselves but when placed in a jig (hence the name) and welded in the desired configuration, a good looking and comfortable chair is made. There are many opportunities for exploring colour and contrast with the combination of painted frame and upholstered panels. Jig is a lightweight, robust and stackable armchair intended for commercial spaces and hospitality areas.

“The Jig chair could have been designed shortly after the invention of the steel tube. Even with a well established material, I hope I’ve designed something new and with a unique personality.” Says Chris Martin

In just two years Massproductions has established itself as one of the most exciting furniture companies in Europe. Their first collection included the “Tio” chair, which is generally considered to be a new modern classic. This is their 3rd presentation at the Stockholm Furniture Fair and sees the collection expanding into upholstered products, under the creative direction of designer Chris Martin – an Englishman who has made his home in Stockholm. Together with fellow designer and co-owner Magnus Elebäck, Massproductions continues to deliver elegant, rational and functional furniture pieces to grace our built environments.

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Tio by Massproductions	Harry stool by Massproductions	Serpentine by Eléonore Nalet

Stockholm 2011: young Swedish designers Form Us With Love present an exhibition of their latest projects in a converted church in Stockholm this week.

Entitled A Glossary for Successful Collaborations, the show includes an outdoor lamp for Swedish metal manufacturers Westal, a concrete bench heated with water pipes and a range of modular felt pendant lamps.

The church is in the process of conversion into a centre for entrepreneurs.

Stockholm Design Week takes place 7-13 February. See all our coverage of the event »

Photographs are by Jonas Lindström.

The information that follows is from Form Us With Love:

During the Stockholm Furniture Fair 2011, Swedish design studio Form Us With Love presents five new projects for five different manufacturers in an exhibition called Form Us With Friends.

Located in a hidden away church in central Stockholm, the exhibiton is open by appointment from Monday feb 7 and ends with a party on Thursday feb 10. The 2011 edition is named “A glossary for successful collaborations”.

”Form Us With Friends is a concept designed to bring to- gether our clients, partners and customers. This year we are focusing on the collaboration, the most important aspect of any project, showing extensive behind the scenes images, movies and prototypes” said, John, Petrus and Jonas from FUWL.

The exhibition and party is now annual and is being held in Stock- holm for the second year in a row. After the Stockholm Furniture Fair, the concept will move to Milan for the Salone del Mobile.

Companies and projects presented:

“Hexagon” for Träullit
“Hood” for Ateljé Lyktan
“Artisan” for Bolon
“Fasett” for Westal
“Gottsunda” for Santa & Cole

FORM US WITH LOVE is a design studio from Stockholm. Started in 2005 by the trio of Jonas Pettersson, John Löfgren and Petrus Palmér, the studio aims to challenge the conventional through design initiatives. FUWL partners with companies involved in the development and production of everyday objects, furniture and lighting.

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Swell by Form Us With Love	Dissecting the Dandy by Form Us With Love	Work Lamp by Form us with Love

Stockholm 2011: Note Design Studio present a series of objects developed from doodles in the margins of their sketchbooks at their Stockholm studio this week.

Top: Tembo. Above: half-time objects

Called Marginal Notes, the pieces include armchairs, lighting and a shelving unit, alongside pieces that have no function but represent the early beginnings of ideas that may be used in later projects.

Above: Boop

Stockholm Design Week takes place 7-13 February. See all our coverage fo the event here »

The information below and captions are from the designers:

MARGINAL NOTES 2011 by Note Design Studio

One morning, over a cup of coffee, we decided to let go of all ideas about strategy and allow ourselves to play for a while.

We all went through our notebooks and looked at the sketches in the margin – those that appear in passing, intuitively and suddenly – those that never really got the attention they deserved. We fell in love with these scribbles and embraced their odd proportions, diverse materials and lack of clever functions. Some were left for later but others were pushed further, into the physical world.

Above: half-time objects

Among prototypes and sketches we also developed some half–time forms; early seeds that influenced later objects.These not yet functionally defined forms acted as catalysts throughout the process. In the end it became an exhibition. Maybe it will give you some new ideas.

Above: Yesterday Island

HIGH TIDE/LOW TIDE – shelves

The tidal range is the vertical difference between the high tide and the succeeding low tide. Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun and the rotation of the Earth. The shelves in these two floating pieces of furniture mark the tidal ranges of the Strait of Magellan, the calmer Pacific versus the more dramatic Atlantic.

Above: Boop sofa

OBJECTS

Among prototypes and sketches we also developed some half–time forms; early seeds that influenced later objects. These not yet functionally defined forms acted as catalysts throughout the process.

Above and below: High Tide/Low Tide shelves

BOOP  – sofa, chair and lounge chair

1. boop: The mystery of the boop shall never be revealed. But when saying “Boop” you must poke a random person on the nose.

2. boop: To poke an animal or something cute on the nose.

TOMORROW ISLAND/YESTERDAY ISLAND – lamps

The Diomede Islands are located in the middle of the Bering Strait between Alaska and Siberia, and their awkward man-made separation inspired us. The islands are sometimes called Tomorrow Island (Big Diomede, Russian territory) and Yesterday Island (Little Diomede, U.S. territory) because the time difference between them is 20 hours, but the distance only three kilometers.

Above: Tomorrow Island lamp

SIBLING – table

Just like sister and brother this table and table grew up together. Their genetic and physical closeness is marked by a strong bond of colour and material. They sprung from the same root but ended up quite different.

TEMBO – high table and stool

Tembo is Swahili for elephant. When elephants walk, they always have at least one foot on the ground. They don’t run. Because of their straight legs and large pad-like feet elephants can stand for very long periods of time without getting tired. Just like our table and stool.

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Axel Bjurström at Stockholm 2011	Luca Nichetto at Stockholm 2011	Inga Sempé at Stockholm 2011