Under DMY Berlin 2011 lancerede Daniel Wahl aka Weltunit sit nye skrivebord Wilbur.

Bordet er specielt designet til den klassiske Egon Eiermann bordramme, og Wilburs primære funktion er at hjæpe brugerne med at genvinde kontrollen over deres arbejdsareal.

Hvad de fleste ikke ved er, at Egon Eiermann udelukkende designede bordets ramme, da det var meningen at brugeren selv skulle levere eller fremstille deres egen bordplade – mange af Eiermanns studerende brugte eksempelvis gamle døre på toppen af deres bordrammer.

Dengang blev alt lavet i hånden på papir, og derfor var skrivebordsorganisering hovedsagligt et spørgsmål om hvordan du stablede dine dokumenter. Derfor var bordpladen i sig selv mindre vigtig, den behøvede ganske simpelt bare at være flad.

I dag har situationen i høj grad ændret sig, hvem kender f.eks  ikke til problemet med kabel-spaghetti og skriveborde fyldt med opladere samt andre af den moderne verdens nødvendige onder?

Wilbur er Daniel Wahls svar på disse problemer.

En ‘tunnel’ under bordpladen har plads nok til at rumme både kabler, opladere og eksterne harddrives – og teoretisk set også dine kiks eller småkager, hvis dine arbejdskolleger mangler respekt for de søde sagers ejermand og dennes ejendom!

Adgang til tunnelen opnåes via en udskæring i bordpladen, en udskæring der er udsmykket med slidser/åbninger, som tillader kabler at komme igennem.

Det er alt sammen så simplet at det er til at græde over.

Wilbur produceres i Tyskland hos MDF og findes i en række forskellige størrelser, farver og materialer, og med flere muligheder for udskæringens placering, alt afhængigt af hvor dit kabel skal placeres.

Yderligere information kan findes hos www.weltunit.com

Arable farmers are famously living, breathing weather databases. Ask one what the weather was like in July four years ago and they’ll tell you.
While explaining why it was bad for the crop. Regardless of how the weather was.

Designs journalists are similar.

Summaery 2010 lived up to its billing and was very Summery.
Summaery 2011 wasn’t. It was more Autumnery.

Which of course didn’t distract from our enjoyment. We just wanted to crowbar that pun in.

The Opaque.Pavillion @ Summaery 2011 Bauhaus University Weimar

A central feature of Summaery 2011 was a series of 9 pavilions created from inter-disciplinay cooperations and coordinated by the architecture department.

The highlight for us was without question the Opaque.Pavillion

In essence a dome created from a normal IKO8 Mero System, the Bauhaus Weimar students adapted the structure through the addition of triangular panels on the outside – panels which provide protection from sun and rain, while maintaining an open feeling inside. The optical illusion created by the “openness” meant that it integrated beautifully in the garden of Bauhausstrasse 15 – and presumably can therefore be integrated in almost any environment without dominating it.

The killer detail for us was the form and position of the panels which are so combined that rain water runs down the outside – flowing from one panel to the next. As we were there it was, fortunately, dry – it had however rained the evening before and according to the students the pavillion had functioned perfectly.

In the product design diploma show there was nothing that could match the almost biblical experience that was R2B2 from Christoph Thetard at Summaery 2010
But then there couldn’t be. And never will be.

We currently have 2 interviews with Christoph in preparation. They are every bit as good as his work.

What did strike us in the diploma show however was the number of pieces that showed a return to traditional handcrafts and featuring a nice mix of “traditional” materials.
Also there was nothing on show that looked modern in a computer controlled way. Or that needed an App.
And we liked that.

Klara by Stephan Bohn - part of the Diploma show at Bauhaus Uni Weimar. Klara is a range of glass vessels suitable for induction cooking.

We’ve noted in the past that product design students at Weimar often get a little too arty for our tastes – the 2011 diploma year was much more applied arty and so to our taste.

Among the other shows, we especially liked Plastic Fantastic – a seminar which challenged students to create a household device normally made from plastic in ceramic – and Workabilly: Kreativer Arbeitsplatz a seminar concerned with creating creative work-spaces.

Plastic Fantastic produced a few very nice variations, including the espresso machine Seppl, a porcelain computer keyboard and a wonderful skeletal foot foot warmer. Although none of the products particularly won us over, all showed that with a bit of imagination one can quite simply remove plastic from products – the question however remains in how far the use is compatible with mass production.

The stand out piece at Workabilly was without question “Über Eiermann” by Ludwig Fehn and Weiwei Wang. On the one hand on account of the gorgeous pun, but principally because it offers a further solution to organising your Eiermann Desk.

Wilbur by Daniel Wahl provides the perfect solution to storing and organising cables and external drives and “Über Eiermann” the same for organising all those things that sit on your desk. “Über Eiermann” simply takes the steel tubes of the Eiermann table frame, extends them above the table top and in doing so creates a framework which one can use for a range of functions. Ludwig and Weiwei’s rustic prototype had some nice shelf adaptions – but one could also develop, for example, acoustic elements, magnetic sections and cable holders and so make the Eiermann Table truly the modular system that it secretly is.

But it wasn’t all happiness. Never is with us.

There is one room in the backyard of the design department at Weimar that is becoming something of a curse for us. Or perhaps better put: Us for it.
Last year it hosted the seminar on prison furniture – and this year on “water”. Neither of which worked for us, both somehow just not reaching the goals they set themselves.
We’ll probably give that room a miss next year.

One of the things we like most about the Bauhaus University is the – as far as we can tell – easy mixing between faculties and consequently the cross- disciplinary nature of the learning structure.

We know its not unique to Weimar, but our gut feeling is that Weimar do it with a little more grace and style than other institutions.

Summaery 2011 not only once again demonstrated this fact, but also gave us hope that this will continue into the future.

And so with the sun finally shining in the Weimar sky, we bid our farewells and headed off to Einblick at the FH Potsdam….

We’ve uploaded a few further photos from Summaery @ Bauhaus University Weimar in a facebook gallery at facebook.com/smowcom

“Über Eiermann” by Ludwig Fehn and Weiwei Wang @ Summaery 2011

During DMY Berlin 2011 Daniel Wahl aka weltunit formally launched his new desk top Wilbur.

Specially designed for the classic Egon Eiermann table frame, Wilbur’s principle function is in helping the user regain control of their workspace. For all cable organisation.

Unbeknown to many, Egon Eiermann only designed the table frame – the intention was that user should supply their own top.

And indeed many of Eiermann’s students simply used old doors on top of their frames.

Back then everything was done on by hand on paper and so desk organisation was essentially a question of how you piled your documents. And so the nature of the top itself was less important. It just had to be flat.

The situation has changed, and who doesn’t know the problem of cable spaghetti and desks over-populated by chargers and other necessary evils of our modern world.

Wilbur is Daniel Wahl’s answer.

A “tunnel” beneath the table top is spacious enough to accommodate not only cable but also chargers and external hard drives. And theoretically also biscuits: if your office colleagues are no respecters of confectionery proprietorship!

Access to the tunnel is achieved through a cut-out in the table top, a cut-out that is decked by cover with slits that allow cables to come through.

Its all so simple it really does make you want to cry.

Wilbur is produced in Germany from MDF and comes in a range of sizes, finishes and with various options for the cut-out cover depending on where your cable needs to be.

Further information can be found at www.weltunit.com

Back in October 2010 the design blog pixelgangster.de ran a competition with a Richard Lampert Egon Eiermann desk – supplied naturally by (smow) – as the first prize.

Entrants were asked to say why they deserved the desk.

In his winning entry Benjamin asked his friends why he deserved the desk – would your friends be so generous?

Ours probably wouldn’t.

But then we already have an Eiermann Desk!

Benjamin’s winning video (in German with English subtitles)

Fritz Haller against Egon Eiermann.

While ahead of the 2010 (smow) designer furniture world cup final many bemoaned the decision of both Switzerland and Germany to  play safe with their more technical formations;  the match itself was one for connoisseurs.

Certainly  a Nils Holger Moormann for Germany or a Susi and Ueli Berger for Switzerland could have brought a little more imagination and colour to the match.  But what the two old masters lacked in flamboyancy they more than compensated for with technical brilliance and confident construction.

Egon Eiermann opened gently with his classic deskframe before quickly doubling up with his deceptively subtle shelving unit. Sensing the “office furniture” direction the match was taking Fritz Haller reached deep and produced a “Komplex integriertes Tisch-Organisations-System”. His KITOS Table being such a departure from his normal USM Haller system that it caused Eiermann to briefly stumble, the Brandenburger regaining his composition in time however to take a 1-0 lead with a beautifully worked SE 18 für Wilde + Spieth.

Spurned on by Eiermann’s SE 18 Fritz Haller responded with a quickfire roll container / Haller table combination before drawing level with a well placed Haller table flat screen swing arm.

The longer the match went on the more Fritz Haller’s stable USM Haller system seemed to control the match; however Egon Eiermann refused to give in and late in the second half  attempted a delightful  SE 68 /E 14 Rattan stool double. Neither of which could quite match the versatility of Haller’s USM system and with match heading for extra time Fritz Haller slide in a perfectly executed metal extension shelf for the victory.

And to take the (smow) designer furniture world cup back to Switzerland for the first time.

(smow)2010 Overview

The Swiss fans celebrate Fritz Haller's victory over Egon Eiermann

The second semi-final of the 2010 (smow) designer furniture World Cup was for many design critics the most interesting match of the competition Charles and Ray Eames against Egon Eiermann.

Not only because of the international stature of the two design teams; nor because of the important role that both played in the development of industrial and furniture design in their home nations. The critical interest was much more if – and when yes to what extent – Egon Eiermann’s approach would mirror that of Charles and Ray Eames.

And the opening exchange was to provide for ample controversy.

Charles and Ray Eames opened with their standard DCW plywood chair: a move which provoked an almost instantaneous  response from Egon Eiermann in the form of an SE 42. Referee  Arthur Mehlstäubler rejecting appeals for a penalty on the basis that the the formal vocabulary available for designing such a plywood chair is limited: so ball to hand and as such no penalty. A decision that was not universally accepted amongst the capacity crowd in Durban.

Undeterred Charles and Ray Eames produced  quick fire DSR and DSW sidechairs before taking a deserved 1:0 lead with one of their trademark “Eames Elephants“.

The Eames Elephant however seemed only to spur Egon Eiermann to increase his efforts and, after a little experimentation, Eiermann was able to draw level with his Rattan Chair. Shortly afterwards he moved into a 2:1 lead with his deceptively robust Eiermann deskframe.

And despite some intensive aluminium chair work from Charles and Ray Eames, Egon Eiermann held on for a  2:1 victory.

(smow)2010 Overview

For people who spend most of their working lives sat at desks, publishers and authors have a frightening disregard for comfort when it comes to chairs.

Or at least they do if the furniture we saw at the 2010 Leipzig Buchmesse was a measure of the industry norm.

Cheap folding chairs, cheap copies of designer furniture classics being presented as originals and general cheap tat as far as the eye could see.

Fortunately one or two of the exhibitors seemed better informed. Below a few snapshots of some of the happier moments of the 2010 Leipzig Buchmesse from a designer furniture perspective:

French/German culture channel ARTE with Swan Chairs by Arne Jacobsen from Fritz Hansen

French/German culture channel ARTE with Swan Chairs by Arne Jacobsen from Fritz Hansen

German news channel Phoneix with Tom Vacs by Ron Arad for Vitra

German news channel Phoneix with Tom Vacs by Ron Arad for Vitra

MDR with LEM by Shin and Tomoko Azumi for lapalma

MDR with LEM by Shin and Tomoko Azumi for lapalma

Reclam Verlag with a USM Haller reception desk.

Reclam Verlag with USM Haller

Reclam Verlag with a USM Haller reception desk

Fachhochschule Potsdam with a tribute to fellow Brandenburger Egon Eiermann. Eiermann table frames from Richard Lampert and SE 68 chairs from Wilde + Spieth.

Fachhochschule Potsdam with a tribute to fellow Brandenburger Egon Eiermann

SE 68 chairs from Wilde + Spieth

And perhaps most impressive of all the students of Bauhaus University Weimar who had, in our eyes, a stand as dedicated to Block by Frank Gehry from Vitra.

Block by Frank Gehry from Vitra

Bauhaus University Weimar

We can only the hope the situation improves for the Leipzig Buchmesse 2011.

But please, with better quality furniture

Trolley RW 103 from Muller Mobelfabrikation

As you know we here at smow(blog) aren’t fans of complicated designer furniture.

Really aren’t.

Less is more – so the grand theologian of post-war European design Dieter Rams – and let form follow function.

That’s us.

A side table or bedside unit need, normally, do nothing more than support a cup, glass or magazine.

Now you could add numerous extras to your table or you could – as with Müller Möbelfabrikation – bend some steel into the shape you want.

In 1926 Mart Stam bent some steel and got a chair.

In 1953 Egon Eiermann welded some steel and got a table frame.

Muller Mobelfabrikation - hand-crafted steel furniture

And today Müller Möbelfabrikation bend steel and produce wonderfully, elegant and practical tables and units.

Available in a fantastic range of colours, the mobile range from Müller Möbelfabrikation is produced in Germany from 3mm thick steel plate, come with lockable castors and are sturdy enough to be used a seat.
Should the need arise.

Full details can be found at the (smow) Müller Möbelfabrikation page.

The last couple of days have seen an endless stream of emails into the (smow)blog bunker asking if we are OK.

And if we’re OK, why aren’t we posting anything?

Can’t we be bothered?

Are we bored?

Have we finally be rumbled by the (smow)boss?

Far from it, the sad truth is we’ve been forced into doing some real work for change.

We know, we can’t believe it either!

(smow) ... in stock and ready to go...

The combination of Christmas holidays and heavy snow throughout Europe has meant that numerous deliveries from a number of (smow)suppliers have been delayed of late.

Delayed deliveries which all arrived on Thursday.

As we arrived at (smow)HQ on Thursday morning, Vitra were already waiting with a lorry full of products from designers as diverse as Charles and Ray Eames, Maarten van Severen or Verner Panton.

Then USM Haller arrived with a lorry full of Haller tables, USM Haller sideboards and roll containers.  And as they left us to head back to Bühl, moooi arrived from Amsterdam.

Sometimes it really is like the EU car park in the (smow)yard!!!

And then with lunch barely digested Moormann, Lampert and lapalma rolled up.

Fantastic as all this was, it did of course mean that someone had to pack all the new deliveries away.

And that task befell us.

But don’t worry, we weren’t actually forced to sweat.

USM Haller being carried by Eames Elephants into the (smow)warehouse

For such tasks we have a team of specially trained and qualified Eames Elephants; we are simply needed to coordinate the whole exercise.

And so we have spent the past few days directing Eiermann desk, Vitra DSR and USM Haller carrying Vitra Eames Elephants through the endless corridors of the (smow)warehouse.

But everything is now – finally – stored away and our Eames Elephants have returned to the Leipzig Ratsholz to continue helping Leipzig City Council rid the public forests of the plague of nordic walking pensioners who have taken up residence there.

Good luck! We’re counting on you!

And we are back to drinking too much coffee and searching out the finest designer furniture stories for your entertainment.

Vitra Eames Elephants prepare to ambush nordic walking pensioners in Leipzig

In what is quite possibly the most eagerly anticipated announcement of 2010, Apple Supremo Steve Jobs will unveil the companies latest product in San Francisco on Wednesday.

Is this the iSlate?

Rumoured the be called iSlate, or possibly iPad or iTablet, the product is expected to combine the functionality of the iPhone with that of the iMac in a flat, transportable, keyboardless computer; thus allowing the user to write, draw and calculate anywhere.

In effect a chalkboard for the 21st century.

Hence the name.

What may surprise many of you, however, is that not only is the history of the chalkboard itself Germanic, but also Apple’s approach to design has it’s roots in Germany; and indeed even Apple’s nomenclature system is based on historical German syntax.

The iSlate is, therefore, German.

The centre of the global chalkboard industry was Steinach in Thuringen. From this idyll of forest and streams some 30 million chalkboards were produced and shipped to all corners of the globe, before production finally ended in 1968. The towns “Chalkboard Museum” provides a wonderful overview of the history of chalkboard production in the area and is well worth a visit next time you are on the Rennsteig. According to the operators, the decision as to whether the iSlate will feature in the exhibition will be made after Steve Job’s official unveiling.

And confirmation that it is called iSlate.

The classic Eiermann Desk by Egon Eiermann from Richard Lampert

But long before Jonathan iVes started reinventing the way we think about products, the Germans were already doing just that.

The iRmann desk by Egon Eiermann is perhaps the best example of just where the Apple approach to product design originates from.

Just as Jonathen iVes strips products down to the bare minimum before relaunching them in a pseudo-post-Dieter Rams format; so Egon Eiermann stripped desk design down to just the frame before relaunching it in a pseudo-pre-Dieter Rams format.

The name “iRmann” originates from a popular anglo-frisian construction whereby the phonetic “i” was treated as inferior in written forms and so the second letter was written as a capital. The lower case i remaining for sake of clarity alone. Popular in Egon Eiermann’s native Brandenburg and neighbouring Berlin, this practice died out as ingvaeonic languages finally ceded to modern German in the 1980s.

It is generally accepted by academics that Apple’s use of the lower case”i” in front of words such as iPod or iPhone has similar origins and is associated with Steve Job’s Frisian ancestry.

Today the iRmann desk is produced by Richard Lampert; albeit under the name Eiermann Desk

And today both Apple products and iRmann desks are used globally by architects, designers and other creative people.

Which can’t be a coincidence.

The iRmann desk is wonderfully complemented by George Nelson’s iClock from Vitra.

The name iClock is a cheap pun we thought up to fit the article into this post.

But we do like it.

You can read full details on the iSlate here, once Apple have made the formal announcement in San Francisco

iSlate and iRmann desk with a panton chair... is this the future of creative office design?