by LinYee Yuan When The Future Perfect opened its doors on a then-quiet block in Brooklyn’s artist outpost of industrial Williamsburg, they were described as carrying “home décor pieces that poke fun not only at…
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As one of the more exciting seating designs to be introduced to Herman Miller’s already near-comprehensive offering of home and office furnishings, the Wireframe Sofa Group blends a comfortably minimal aesthetic with a visual and…
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Milan 2013: French designer Jean-Marie Massaud has created chunky grey seating resembling the jagged forms of an iceberg for Swedish furniture brand Offecct.
Massaud’s Airberg collection for Offecct comprises a long sofa and a chunky chair, both with an asymmetrical backrest.
“Airberg consists of a structural case that gives the impression of being filled with a vacuum, but is in reality filled with a flexible padding material,” explained Offecct.
The collection, currently still in prototype form, is one of the first results from the new Offecct Lab research and development initiative.
The design was presented at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan alongside UNStudio’s curvy red seating for Offecct – see all news and products from Milan 2013.
Massaud recently collaborated with auto maker Toyota to create an “anti-crisis” concept car with plastic bodywork and a bamboo bonnet – see all design by Jean-Marie Massaud.
Other Offecct furniture we’ve published recently includes a chair by Japanese studio Nendo that flicks out like a flowing cape and a sofa with a winged backrest by Spanish designer Carlos Tíscar – see all design by Offecct.
Here’s some more information from Offecct:
Airberg by Jean-Marie Massaud is an innovative piece of furniture that breaks with conventions.
Airberg is one of the first results to come out of the work at Offecct Lab, a strategic initiative designed to concentrate Offecct’s efforts in the development of new solutions and new products. Airberg is not ready for production yet, but should be seen as a result of an ongoing R&D process where Offecct and Jean-Marie Massaud dared to develop a piece of seating furniture for the meeting places of the future.
The inspiration behind the form of Airberg is a combination of a comfortable, inviting piece of seating furniture and an iceberg filled with vacuum. The furniture’s abstract form is light in its expression and Airberg is contemporary both in its design and in the technique used.
“Offecct is prominent in offering the market a strong and varied product selection. This means that with Airberg I could take a step further and break with conventions and question existing norms of what a piece of seating furniture usually looks like,” says Jean-Marie Massaud.
Airberg consists of a structural case which gives the impression of being filled with a vacuum, but is in reality filled with a flexible padding material. The unique craftsmanship used in the production of Airberg makes it possible to create a deconstructed piece of furniture that is more defined in its asymmetry. Jean-Marie Massaud has created a piece of furniture that is comfortable, sustainable and competent, making it highly contemporary.
“Offecct has always worked continuously with product development and lately we have intensified our efforts to taking yet another step in creating innovative and challenging products for the international market,” says Kurt Tingdal, CEO, Offecct.
“With Airberg, Offecct, together with Jean-Marie Massaud, take a great leap in that direction resulting in a unique piece of furniture that has to be experienced,” Kurt Tingdal concludes.
The post Airberg by Jean-Marie Massaud
for Offecct appeared first on Dezeen.
Milan 2013: French designer Matali Crasset has designed a sofa that breaks down into a bed, two armchairs and two footstools.
Called Concentré de Vie, the system by Matali Crasset comprises two upholstered chairs and two pebble-like cushions, housed in a triangular base that doubles as a single bed.
The elements are upholstered in neutral fabric with orange highlights and can be rearranged to accommodate different numbers of guests or activities as required.
Italian brand Campeggi showed the design at Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan. The brand has produced a few interesting pieces of furniture for house guests, with past products we’ve covered including a sofa wrapped in a fabric wall, a chair that transforms into a single bed and a coat stand that conceals a spare bed by Crasset.
See all our stories about design by Matali Crasset »
See all our stories about furniture by Campeggi »
See all our stories about design at Milan 2013 »
Here’s some more information from Campeggi:
Concentré de Vie is a project allowing diversity to express itself thanks to a set of elements that can be moved everywhere within the domestic landscape. It’s a mutant structure able to welcome from two to seven people turning from sofa to living room and proposing, at the same time, a different kind of comfort.
A team among which each member plays a main role: two square elements that become, one after the other, armrest, footstool or pouf; a box element acting as a binding agent that can be used as a single bed and finally two relaxing elements, real core of the whole system, which can be used together or separately.
The post Concentré de Vie by Matali Crasset
for Campeggi appeared first on Dezeen.
Milan 2013: Zaha Hadid launched a sofa based on natural rock formations at an exhibition of her new furniture designs in a former foundry last week.
The shape of the Zephyr Sofa by Zaha Hadid for Italian firm Cassina Contract is derived from erosion patterns, resulting in fluid banks of seating with deep platforms and backrests to encourage sprawling. The pieces have no front or back and can be joined together to create larger configurations.
Hadid explained the origins of her flexible furniture designs in a talk on the opening night: “When I was doing plans years ago, people always said ‘what kind of furniture will you put against this kind of curved wall?’ So it emerged from that – this idea of making islands or spaces in a modulated form, a sequence or a fluid movement within a space.”
“These pieces are very communicative, they are never meant to be pushed up against a wall,” added partner Patrik Schumacher. “You can put them in any direction, you can seat more people and it’s slightly ambiguous how you can congregate.”
The outside surfaces are finished in glossy lacquer and topped with foam upholstered in tactile fabrics.
The piece was shown at Multiplicities, an exhibition of furniture designs by Zaha Hadid in the north of Milan last week, which also featured the Array auditorium seats by Zaha Hadid for Poltrona Frau Contract.
Elsewhere in Milan, Hadid also presented a limited edition of tables for marble brand Citco at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile, two lamps for Slamp at the Euroluce lighting show and a bench based on glacial crevices in the Tortona district.
Photographs are by Jacopo Spilimbergo.
See all our stories about architecture and design by Zaha Hadid »
See all our stories about design at Milan 2013 »
Here’s some more information from Zaha Hadid Architects:
The sinuous shape of the Zephyr sofa has been inspired by natural rock formations shaped by erosion: the application of subtractive processes that carve solid matter. The resulting formal language gives the Zephyr sofa increased ergonomic properties without compromising the design’s fluidity or proportion; translating into a concept that allows for multiple seating layouts.
The carved profile incorporates deep backrests and generous undercuts for unrivalled comfort. A lacquered finish applied to Zephyr’s structural elements highlights every subtle nuance of its composition, and is contrasted by the tactile qualities of its bespoke upholstery and cushioning.
Zephyr showcases Cassina Contract’s unrivalled technical experience and longstanding tradition of artisan excellence.
Architect: Zaha Hadid Design
Design: Zaha Hadid, Patrik Schumacher
Design team: Fulvio Wirz, Mariagrazia Lanza, Maha Kutay
Manufacturer: Cassina Contract
Dimensions: 265x284x73cm
The post Zephyr Sofa by Zaha Hadid
for Cassina Contract appeared first on Dezeen.
Milan 2013: London designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby have unveiled a collection of sofas for American furniture brand Knoll at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan.
Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, the duo behind the London 2012 Olympic torch, have designed a series of furniture with cast aluminium legs that can be finished in red, white or black paint.
The range includes two and three seat sofas, an armchair and ottomans, available in a selection of fabrics including leather, as well as side tables and a stool. They are on display at Knoll’s stand C01-D02, Pavilion 20 at the Milan Fairgrounds in Rho, and in the brand’s showroom located at Piazza Bertarelli 2.
The sofas feature in our round up of the best products at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile.
Knoll is also presenting a collection of rotating, sliding and motorised furniture by architect Rem Koolhaas at the Prada exhibition space in Milan – see all our coverage of Milan 2013 here and our map of events taking place across the city here.
As BarberOsgerby, the designers have previously designed limited edition stripy tables for Established & Sons and a tilting chair for Vitra.
See all our stories about design by BarberOsgerby »
See all our stories about sofa design »
See all our stories about Milan 2013 »
The post Sofa Collection by Edward Barber
& Jay Osgerby for Knoll appeared first on Dezeen.
Product news: the covers of these sofas by Italian industrial designer Giulio Iacchetti look like they’re made of crumpled paper (+ slideshow).
Designed for Italian furniture brand Meritalia, the seats by Iacchetti are wrapped DuraForm – a washable cellulose-based material more commonly used for book covers or jeans labels.
Covers can also be ordered in fabric or leather in a selection of earthy shades.
Four simple blocky shapes form the single cushion, two armrests and angled backrest, which are supported by black metal feet at each corner.
The sofas will be shown in Milan next month, where Zaha Hadid will present twisting auditorium seats and Werner Aisslinger will unveil brightly coloured chairs.
Nendo’s modular furniture with tall backrests and a swinging sofa designed for the office may also be of interest.
See all our stories about sofas »
See all our stories about paper »
The post Newcastle sofas by Giulio Iacchetti
for Meritalia appeared first on Dezeen.
Product news: Japanese design studio Nendo has come up with a modular office furniture system with tall backrests for extra privacy (+ movie).
Above: movie shows various configurations of the modules
Created for Japanese office furniture and supplies brand Kokuyo, the Brackets sofa and table units by Nendo are intended to surround their users “like parentheses.”
The seven sofa types and four table types can be combined into numerous combinations, from rows of alternately facing single seats to compact meeting booths.
At 140 centimetres tall, the backrests screen the occupants and provide privacy as well as dampening surrounding noise.
Other products launched by Nendo recently include bent wood chairs that flick out as if they’re wearing capes and a series of 30 lamps made from a modular set of parts – see all design by Nendo.
Earlier this month we reported on the studio’s mountain range of laser-cut foamboard installed at Stockholm Design Week, where Nendo was guest of honour – see all news and products from Stockholm 2013.
Photographs by Akihiro Yoshida.
Here’s some more information from the designers:
Brackets
An office-use unit sofa designed to create a communication space by ‘bracketing’ its inhabitants like parentheses.
Users can freely combine the seven sofa types and four table types into a variety of spaces with a finely tuned balance of openness and privacy, concentration and relaxation and individuals and groups.
The sofas are composed of sharp outer lines and softer inner curves, so that they respect the mood of the office environment while providing for user comfort.
The height of the backrests, relatively tall at 1400mm, provides visual privacy and dampens the surrounding noise, allowing for focussed conversations.
The post Brackets by Nendo
for Kokuyo appeared first on Dezeen.
Product news: German furniture brand e15 has launched re-editions of a chair, sofa, daybed and stackable side table designed by German modernist Ferdinand Kramer in the first half of the twentieth century (+ slideshow).
The four pieces are being presented by e15 at trade fair imm cologne this week.
Among them is the FK09 Westhausen sofa, designed by Ferdinand Kramer in 1926 as part of the major New Frankfurt housing programme. The grey sofa is divided into three seats and comes with either solid oak or walnut feet.
Also dating from 1926 is the FK10 Weissenhof armchair, created for a Mies van der Rohe apartment in the influential Die Wohnung exhibition of modernist interiors. The grey armchair has a wide, deep seat and also comes with either solid oak or walnut feet.
The FK11 Senckenburg daybed was designed in 1952 for Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University of Frankfurt am Main, and has a wedge-shaped headrest that folds up into an armrest.
The FK12 FortyForty, designed in 1945, is a stackable side table in powder-coated steel. Removable and invertible trays in coloured steel or marble fit into the top and bottom of the frame, allowing it to be stacked up to five tables high.
The first eight pieces of the Ferdinand Kramer collection, including chairs, stools and a coffee table, were presented by e15 in Milan in April last year.
Born in 1898 in Frankfurt, Kramer was a key modernist architect and functionalist designer. He worked with architect and civic planner Ernst May on the New Frankfurt housing project and later became the director of building at the city’s Goethe University.
Other products from e15 we’ve featured on Dezeen include a collection of steel and marble side tables and a carved walnut jewellery case – see all our stories about e15.
Other designs launched at imm cologne this year include a DIY curtain kit by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec and a ceramic lamp by Benjamin Hubert – see all our stories from imm cologne.
Photographs are by Ingmar Kurth.
Here’s some more information from E15:
At imm cologne 2013, e15 debuts four further re-editions by the renowned modernist German architect and designer Ferdinand Kramer.
Coinciding with his 115th anniversary, e15 is proud to further expand the exceptional Ferdinand Kramer® collection with four re-editions, all of which emphasise the clear and confident design aesthetic of the German modernist architect.
Working closely with Kramer’s family and the archives, e15 introduces the upholstered Sofa FK09 Westhausen and armchair FK10 Weissenhof from 1926 as well as the daybed FK11 Senckenberg from 1952, representing Ferdinand Kramer’s original and enduring design sensibility. The flexible and stackable side table FK12 Fortyforty from 1945 sets individual accents with its playful possibilities.
Ferdinand Kramer collection by e15
Sofa FK09 Westhausen, 1926
Designed in 1926 for private residences as part of the significant ‘New Frankfurt’ housing programme, the sofa FK09 Westhausen represents Ferdinand Kramer’s visionary and enduring design aesthetic. Its straight lines and generous proportions convey a composed and inviting character for the upholstered sofa, thus allowing for application in diverse environments. Divided into three seats and with continuous back upholstery, superior wave springs ensure ample seating comfort. The sofa FK09 WESTHAUSEN is available with solid oak or walnut feet.
Armchair FK10 Weissenhof, 1926
Designed in 1926 for the Hausrat GmbH, the armchair FK10 Weissenhof is an unmistakable example of Ferdinand Kramer’s visionary and concise design ability. With its clear and confident lines the upholstered armchair is generously proportioned with a wide, deep seat. In 1927, Ferdinand Kramer was commissioned to plan two interiors of the legendary ‘Weissenhofsiedlung’ and specified the armchair FK10 Weissenhof for one of the apartments designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in the internationally significant Werkbund exhibition, ‘Die Wohnung’. Newly equipped with superior wave springs, FK10 Weissenhof is ideally suited for residential and contract use. Available with solid oak or walnut legs.
Daybed FK11 Senckenberg, 1952
Designed in 1952 as part of the furnishing for the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University in Frankfurt am Main, the FK11 Senckenburg daybed is an extension of Ferdinand Kramer’s elegant and enduring upholstered furnitu- re series from 1926 with the sofa FK09 Westhausen and armchair FK10 Weissenhof. The wedge-shaped, upholstered headrest can be folded up into a rectangular armrest and accounts for the versatile charm of this daybed. Superior wave springs ensure seating or lying comfort. Available with solid oak or walnut legs.
Side table FK12 FortyForty, 1945
The flexible and stackable side table FK12 FortyForty in powder-coated steel is a significant example of Ferdinand Kramer’s fascination with variability and adaptability of multi-purpose furniture. Designed in 1945 during his time in America, the playful FK12 Fortyforty expresses lightness and elegance despite its strict geometrical shape. Removable and invertible trays for top and bottom of the frame in coloured steel or marble offer a multitude of possibilities and set individual accents. Stackable to up to five, the versatile character of the FK12 Fortyforty side table allows for an application in diverse environments, either as a stand-alone piece or also in combination with other furniture from the e15 collection.
The post Ferdinand Kramer collection
by e15 appeared first on Dezeen.
This swinging sofa by Berlin-based Studio Aisslinger for design brand Vitra isn’t meant for the garden or conservatory but for weary workers in the office.
The Swing Sofa is hung from a metal A-frame structure that comes in white (pictured here) or yellow. It’s meant for relaxation and contemplation rather than play, so “overly forceful pushes are prevented by a spring integrated into the upper beam, which prevents the swing from exceeding its natural bounds within the office,” say designers Werner Aisslinger and Nicole Losos.
The product was launched at the Orgatec trade fair in Cologne last week, where Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec also presented stackable chairs and tables designed for a Danish university and KiBiSi showed a mechanical desk that can be cranked up and down.
This isn’t the first piece of kinetic office furniture we’ve featured on Dezeen – we recently reported on a swinging table with hanging chairs by Duffy London.
A selection of watches designed by Studio Aisslinger for the Italian brand Lorenz is available in the Dezeen Watch Store, including the original model with windows cut into the watch face to reveal its numbers and the recently launched chronograph version.
See all our stories about Studio Aisslinger »
See all our stories about Vitra »
See all our stories about sofas »
The post Swing Sofa by Studio Aisslinger
for Vitra appeared first on Dezeen.
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